Royal Hearts
by KimberlieR
Summary: After a terrible tragedy, Royal best friends Lissa & Rose find themselves starting their first semester at Lehigh. Trying to overcome the trauma of their past, Rose is faced with an even greater challenge when her former mentor & lover Dimitri shows up with his own charge at the university. As they try to rekindle the past, danger lurks and unknown evil plots to keep them apart.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

**Rose's Point of View**

_As the fasten seatbelt light flashed on, I could feel the tension rolling off Lissa in waves. The small air craft we were traveling on had been battered by turbulence for the last 20 minutes, and the pilots had finally had the good sense to declare an emergency landing. We were headed back to St. Vladimir's after spending the Christmas holiday at court with Lissa's family, and the snowy blizzard we'd stumbled upon had made this a less than desirable flight._

_Lissa's older brother Andre was sitting across from us, trying to offer up a reassuring smile while Lissa's parents Eric and Rhea were busy making sure we were safely buckled in._

_I could hear the storm raging outside us when without warning, the plane jerked heavily to the right side. I watched in horror as Rheas body crashed into the window on the adjacent side of the plane, her body contorting at an unnatural angle. Her husband barely had a chance to react before the plane jerked again sending him flying backwards against the cockpit door._

"_Dad!" Lissa cried out while Andre quickly unbuckled his seatbelt to help._

_Oxygen masks descended from overhead while the cabin lights began to flicker wildly. Beside me Lissa continued to scream, gripping my hand so tightly I was sure it would break. _

_I could feel the plane picking up speed as we spiraled towards the ground. This was it, we were going to die. I took one last look at my best friends face, and it was the last thing I registered before it all went black._

* * *

><p>8 months later…<p>

With great reluctance I let Lissa drag me into our first period classroom, trying to ignore the stares and whispers surrounding us. You'd think after 8 months the novelty of the accident would have worn off, but unfortunately being the sole survivors of a fiery plane crash makes you something of a celebrity. It didn't help matters that the loss of Lissa's family left her the last remaining Dragomir. In Moroi society there are 13 royal families and the Dragomir's just happen to be one of them.

"I wish they'd stop staring." Lissa murmured as we slid into a pair of seats near the back of the class. I could feel her annoyance through the bond and it caused my own anger to bubble to the surface.

"What, have you never seen two teenage girls before? Quit gawking already!" I growled, sending several heads turning in different directions.

"Please don't make a scene." Lissa pleaded, trying to shrink lower into her chair. Despite her own irritation with being a freak show, it wasn't in her nature to call people out on their bullshit. I on the other hand had no qualms about it. Growing up the only daughter of Abe Mazur had made me something of a novelty long before the accident, and I'd long gotten used to the attention that came with it. Abe was a well-known and feared Royal, and had never been the type to fly quietly under the radar. He was loud and flashy and always had his hand in several different pots at once. Most of his business took place overseas which was the main reason I spent my childhood as an honorary Dragomir.

Lissa and I have been best friends since kindergarten and she's the closest thing I have to a real family. After my mom died we became inseparable and now thanks to that pesky little plane crash our bond is even stronger than ever.

Unlike most Moroi, Lissa's element wasn't one of the original four: Earth, Air, Wind, or Fire. Instead she'd been gifted with the incredibly rare element of Spirit, something that allowed you to heal or bring things back from the dead. In my case, she'd done exactly that after the crash, and now we were supernaturally bonded to one another. I had been kissed by shadows and with that came a ton of insane side effects, most notably the ability to see inside Lissa's mind.

I know; pretty freaky right?

Our first few classes of the day passed in a similar fashion. People gawked, I yelled, and then everyone avoided us like the plague. Personally I hadn't expected any less and was only going along with this whole school charade for Lissa's sake. She had her heart set on college and Queen Tatiana had pretty much insisted on it.

After an excruciatingly long day, I walked into my last class: Intro to Russian. This was the only class Liss and I didn't have together which instantly made me hate it. As I made my way down the aisle I rolled my eyes at the newest round of stares before plopping down in the first empty seat I could find. Unfortunately for me that seat just happened to be in front of two overly chatty Kathy's who I immediately disliked on principle. Of course 2 seconds later they gave me a valid reason to do so.

"You're Rose Mazur right?" A bubbly blond girl chirped up from the seat directly in front of me.

"Yup" I replied, popping the P sound while I dug around distractedly in my backpack.

"So what's it like to be dead?" she asked eagerly, and I froze mid search for my notebook.

"Excuse me?" Who the hell asks something like that?

Apparently this girl.

"Well isn't it true you were like, ya know, dead?

I couldn't decide if I thought she was incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. After deciding on stupid I prepared to bite her head off, but the guy sitting next to me beat me to the punch.

"Hey Camille, isn't it like true your dad left your mother for a man?" he asked sending her a devilishly smug smirk. I instantly decided to like him. In front of me Camille glared and scoffed before flipping her hair and turning her attention back to the front of the class. The guy next to me just smiled satisfied.

"Okay, that was the best thing to happen to me all day." I told him, giving him my own smile in return. "I'm Rose." I told him, extending my hand.

"Ivan Zelekos." He replied, and I noticed his own voice was laced heavily with an accent. It took me a moment before I realized the accent was Russian.

"Well Ivan Zelekos, tell me, what's a Russian native doing taking intro to Russian?"

"It's an easy A." he shrugged smiling cheekily.

We spent the rest of the class chatting easily and by the end of the period I considered Ivan a friend. He was charismatic by nature, not to mention easy on the eyes. But he also shared my similar sense of humor and blatant disregard for higher education. According to Ivan, finishing school was the stipulation on which he'd receive his trust fund, so he dutifully suffered through it.

After spending an hour with Ivan, I decided maybe this class wouldn't see so bad. Of course, that was until I saw him.

* * *

><p><strong>Dimitri's Point of View<strong>

Our day started out the same as usual. I dragged a half drunk Ivan out of bed kicking and screaming before playing the role of his dutiful shadow for the rest of the day.

That's what us Dhampirs do, were to be seen but not heard, giving up our own lives in service of the Moroi. If I'm being completely honest with myself, I got lucky guarding Ivan. Not only was he an easy charge, he was also one hell of a friend. I met him two years ago after transferring from St. Vladimir's at a time in my life I wasn't sure I'd ever really recover. I had just spent the last two years teaching advanced combat to the novices and any Moroi that was willing to learn. Unsurprisingly there weren't many, in fact there was only one.

Rose Mazur.

At the time she was barely 17, but she was certainly a force to be reckoned with. Aside from being the most pig headed and stubborn woman I'd ever met, she was incredibly talented and painfully beautiful. I spent months trying to draw some boundaries between us, but every time I did she simply tore them down. She had this innate ability to see right through my walls, and she understood me in a way that no one else ever had before. No matter how hard I tried to distance myself from her, I was constantly drawn back in. Like magnets, we just couldn't seem to stay away.

I knew being involved with her wasn't an option. Not only was she my student and a Moroi, she was a royal at that and the only daughter of Abe Mazur. So after months of struggling I made a decision. With nothing more than a note, I took off in the middle of the night, like a coward, leaving behind the only woman I would ever truly love.

When I'd heard about her accident a few months back, I thought about reaching out to her. I'd even gone so far as to fly back to the states to see her. But as I stood outside her hospital room door, I was struck with the realization of what I was doing. I'd barely had the strength to walk away from her the first time, and if I let myself look into those warm brown eyes once more, I knew I'd fall at her feet and beg for forgiveness.

No, seeing Rose again wasn't an option, except now she was standing right in front of me.

The moment she'd walked into the classroom I'd felt it. Like the old familiar pull that had always existed between us, my body seemed to sense that she was there. Luckily for me, I blended in nicely into the background and she'd yet to notice me herself. I watched as she took a seat next to Ivan, struck by how little time had changed her.

She had the same curvy physique that was so uncommon for a Moroi, and the same olive colored completion that appeared to be kissed by the sun. Her long brown hair fell in gentle waves down her back, and the shorts she was wearing showed off her toned legs that went for days. She was every bit as beautiful as I remembered, if not more, and now she was standing here right in front of me.

"Dimitri?" she asked blinking a few times. Perhaps she thought her mind was playing tricks on her.

"Hello Roza."

I watched as her eyes softened at the sound of my voice; those liquid brown pools conveying so much emotion. I was so mesmerized by her that I was completely unprepared for what happened next.

One minute she was looking at me adoringly, the next I felt a burning sting on my cheek from the slap she'd just dealt me. I reached up absent-mindedly to touch my face and was vaguely aware of Ivan laughing beside me. Without another word she turned on her heels striding out of the classroom with her own guardian right behind her.

And just like that, Roza was back in my life.


	2. Chapter 2

**Rose's Point of View**

That son of a bitch.

Okay, so I hadn't exactly planned on slapping Dimitri. In truth I was actually kind of happy to see him. Then he had to go and open his stupid beautiful mouth and call me Roza, and all logic and reason flew right out the window. With one word, he brought me back in time, back to the days when I lived to hear him call me that name; the days when we'd sneak away to the old guardian cabin on the outskirts of campus and steal a moment together. The days when he swore that he loved me and nothing would ever tear us apart. Yeah, those were the days, that is until I woke up for practice one spring morning and found that stupid Dear John letter explaining that he was gone.

Without so much as a goodbye, he just vanished, leaving behind a gaping hole in my heart that never truly healed. I spent months trying to get over him, trying to convince myself it was a silly school girl crush and nothing more. But there was no denying the truth about Dimitri; I couldn't lie about it, even to myself. Being with Dimitri was the only time in my life where I ever felt complete. He knew me, the real me, and he somehow managed to love me anyway. He didn't look at me and see a royal Moroi, or Abe Mazurs daughter. He saw a fighter, and a lover and a fiercely loyal friend. He saw the passion I had for life and protecting the ones I loved, and instead of encouraging me to cower behind a guardian he trained me, and taught me to fend for myself.

When he left me I was shattered, and hearing him call me Roza just now reminded me of that.

I didn't bother to try and mask my fury as I slammed the door to my dorm room shut. Lissa and Christian who were busy making out on her bed quickly jumped apart and stared at me startled by the sudden intrusion.

"Geez Rose, knock much." Christian complained, rolling his eyes at my interruption.

"Nope." I replied plopping down on my bed, and shucking my backpack against the wall with a little too much force. It seemed Lissa had finally caught onto my foul mood and untangled herself from Christian's arms to sit next to me on my bed.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she probed gently, trying to gage just how angry I really was. Messing with Rose Mazur when she was angry was as foolish as trying to pry a steak away from a tiger.

"What's there to talk about Liss? I spent the entire day being gawked at by a bunch of hyenas that look at me like I'm some sort of circus freak, and to top it all off, I ran into Dimitri today."

"What?" Her and Christian both shouted in unison. They'd both had the misfortune of suffering through the breakup right along with me.

"Yup. It seems that God doesn't think I've suffered enough for one lifetime because Dimitri's new charge goes to school here at Lehigh and happens to be in my intro to Russian class." I knew I was being a little theatrical but right now I didn't really care. I had run into the former love of my life on a random Monday in August, I was entitled to be a little dramatic.

"Wow" Lissa mused, trying to wrap her head around the news. Christian just sat there with a murderous look on his face.

"Did that prick say anything to you?" He demanded to know. Despite our constant bickering, Christian and I really did care about one another and I knew he was still pissed about the way Dimitri had treated me.

"He said…Hello Roza." I mocked in my best Russian accent. I knew it wasn't very good because Christian and Lissa both smirked before returning to their previous states of shock.

"That's it?" Lissa shrieked? Suddenly I felt maybe my slap wasn't so unjustified after all…

Later that night I was still trying to forget about Dimitri when I heard a subtle knock on the door. Lissa was out having dinner with Christian and we hadn't been here long enough to be expecting any visitors. I had a sinking suspicion about who it might be, and when I pulled the door open a moment later it was confirmed.

He was standing there in all his godly glory. Towering over me at 6'7, his large and muscly frame was stood awkwardly in the door way. His shoulder length brown hair was tied back at the nape of his neck and I fought back the urge to rip the hair from its holder and run my fingers through it. I knew from experience those locks were softer than the finest silk and it had been far too long since I'd touched them. He had yet to say anything and I knew he was struggling to find the right words.

"What are you doing here Dimitri?" I asked after I grew tired of waiting. It really had been a long day and I wasn't sure I had the emotional energy necessary to deal with him right now. As if somehow reading my mind, his expression turned apologetic.

"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have come here so late. You're probably exhausted." The look on his face was so utterly defeated that my mouth started speaking before my mind had a chance to protest.

"Would you like to come in?" I asked, and his eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. God, why did he have to be so damn beautiful? Once we were inside the room he took a seat awkwardly on my bed and motioned for me to join him.

"No thanks, I'll stand."

"Roza, I'm so sorry." He started, but at hearing the affectionate nickname I held my hand up to stop him.

"Dimitri, please don't. I know why you did what you did, and I'm not angry anymore. But that doesn't mean I can forgive you either. You swore to love me, and then walked away like it was nothing. I understand why you left, but how you left, well it's unforgivable." That defeated look reappeared and for half a second I wanted to take back my words and comfort him. It had always broken my heart to see Dimitri this way, even if right now he deserved it.

"You're right Roza, I was a coward for leaving and I've regretted it ever since. You can't know how many times I wanted to call you, to show back up at the academy and beg you to forgive me. But it wouldn't have been fair to you, not after the way I left. I wanted you to have a chance to move on and be happy. I wanted you to have a chance at a normal life, not one where you had to constantly hide your feelings from the people you loved and face social ostracism. I wanted more for you, more than I could ever give you."

It broke my heart to hear the words out loud. I wasn't a fool; I knew these were all the reasons why he really left. Never once did I doubt his love for me, or that his intentions had been good. It was part of the reason it hurt so much. Dimitri loved me more than his own happiness and he gave it up so I'd have a better life. The problem was that he had it all wrong. I was never better off without him in my life, and I probably never would be.

"Dimitri, I thought you knew me better than that. Do you honestly think I care about being accepted by the Moroi society? Did you think the people I love wouldn't accept you knowing how happy you made me? I didn't need any of that other crap, all I needed was you!" I tried to keep in the traitorous tears that had built up behind my eyes but as my emotion overcame me they all started spilling out.

"Roza, oh Roza I'm so sorry." Dimitri murmured as he wrapped his arms around my in a loving embrace. "Please Milaya, don't cry." It felt so good to be back in his arms, inhaling the intoxicating scent of his aftershave and familiar smell. Being in his arms was like coming home, except he wasn't my home anymore and he hadn't been for a long time. It took all the strength I could muster to pull myself out of his arms and take a much needed step back.

"I think you should go." I whispered, looking down at the floor. I didn't trust myself to look into those warm brown eyes; if I did I'd be lost. I didn't have to look at him to be able to sense his indecision. He'd always hated to see my cry and it fought against his better judgment not to wrap me in his arms and try to make it better. But something in my expression must have encouraged him, because after taking a step forward and kissing my forehead, he quietly left the room.


	3. Chapter 3

**Dimitri's Point of View**

_It was the first snowfall of the season and I was making my way across the quad. All around me students were engaged in snowball fights, and Rose was no exception. I chuckled lightly to myself when I caught her land a blow to her friend Mason's face. She noticed me looking and winked before returning to her antics. She had a wicked glint her in eyes and I pitied the poor fool who dared to mess with her. _

_I was just finishing up with my dinner when I heard a commotion outside of the cafeteria. After dumping my tray I headed outside to investigate and what I found surprised me. A little girl from the Elementary dorms was cowering behind Rose while two older boys taunted her with the snowballs in their hands. The expression on Rose's face was livid._

"_What kind of tools resort to picking on small children?" she growled, glaring at the two idiots in front of her. I could tell from the battered appearance of the little girl that Rose hadn't intervened soon enough to spare her completely. _

"_Oh relax Mazur; we're just having a little fun!"_

"_Fun?" she growled, scooping up a handful of snow. _

"_Yeah you know, Fun. That thing you tight ass Royals never have."_

_Whoa…big mistake kid, I thought when Rose's angry glare turned murderous. The two boys were so busy cackling at their own joke that they were completely unprepared when a hard snowball pelted one of them in the face. The other barely had a chance to register a look of shock before he suffered the same fate. I could tell the snowballs were packed tightly, because you could already see the red marks forming. The little girl who was hiding behind Rose let out an adorable giggle and Rose's expression softened in response._

"_You know what, you're right. That was fun." She smirked before scooping up another handful of snow. Both boys eyes grew wide when they saw her and this only egged her own further. _

"_What are we not having fun anymore?" she asked feigning innocence. "And here I thought a couple of tough guys like yourselves could handle a little snowball. My mistake." She shrugged, turning her back on the two dumbstruck fools. She crouched down to the little girl's level so she could brush some wet hair out of her face, and gently straightened the hat that had been knocked crooked. _

"_Are you okay sweetie?" Rose asked the little girl tenderly. She nodded an adorable whole body nod and Rose laughed at the sight. The girl couldn't have been more than 6._

"_What's your name?"_

"_Katya" she said shyly looking down at her feet._

"_Well Katya, my name is Rose. And if those two boys ever mess with you again, you come find me okay?" _

_Katya looked up at Rose with clear admiration and a beautiful full smile broke out on her tiny face. Once again she nodded with her whole body and ran off to join her other friends. I stayed there long enough to watch Rose bump into the two idiots and laughed when she muttered and walked away._

"_Tools..."_

It had been two weeks since the night in Rose's dorm room and she'd been avoiding me like the plague. I couldn't say that I really blamed her, but that didn't mean it wasn't torture to watch her go about her life. It was the reason I had resorted to recalling all my old memories of her, using it as a way to keep her close.

That day on the quad with the snowballs was the first time I saw just how compassionate and protective Roza could be. She didn't know that little girl from Adam and yet when she saw her being bullied, she didn't think twice about intervening. She was fierce by nature, and our training sessions had only added to her confidence. Not many Moroi had the strength of mind or body to endure the training I put her through, but Rose was tough and she rarely ever complained. It was just one of many things I grew to admire about her, and still admired to this day.

I was still lost in my thoughts about Rose when I noticed the class begin to empty. In what had become a normal routine for us, Rose passed me with a simple nod of acknowledgment before heading out of the classroom. I watched her go wistfully until I heard Ivan let out a heavy sigh.

"Dude, you're pathetic. Just talk to her already."

"I tried Ivan; she doesn't want to hear it. And you know what, I don't blame her."

But he didn't seem convinced.

"Dimitri, I swear for a smart guy sometimes you are completely clueless. Rose may be angry with you, but even a blind man can see she still loves you. I've caught her staring from time to time as well. The thing is, she doesn't trust you anymore, so now she's making you work for it. Show her you're not going anywhere this time, and I guarantee she'll warm up to you in no time." He finished his little rant looking so smug that I simply rolled my eyes. Of course later on when I got to thinking about it, I realized he just might be right. The only question now was how do I prove it to her?

**Rose's Point of View**

"How about this one?" Sophia asked holding up a sexy black dress from the closet. Sophia was my guardian and closest friend next to Lissa. We'd all attended academy together and my dad had pulled some strings to make sure she was assigned to me after graduation.

"Too sexy. It' a bonfire Sophie, not the prom."

"True, but Dimitri's going to be there, don't you want him to eat his heart out?"

It was true, I was nervous about Dimitri being there tonight, but that didn't mean I was willing to dress like a whore to get his attention.

"Dimitri will eat his heart out no matter what I wear, now help me find something practical!" I encouraged, turning my attention back to Lissa's hair.

"Have you two talked anymore since the other night?" Lissa asked, drawing Sophia's interest from the closest.

"Nope." I said, making sure to pop the P to annoy her. Lissa hates when I do that.

"Rose, you have to talk to him eventually." Lissa argued. I still couldn't understand how after everything she watched me suffer through she could be so team Romitri.

"Why Liss, give me one good reason why."

"Because you still love him, and he obviously still loves you." Damn Lissa and her freakin' logic.

After 3 more outfit rejections I settled on a pair of blue skinny jeans, brown boots and a deep purple cashmere sweater. For being early September there had been quite a chill in the air, and lead me to believe we were in for a long Pennsylvania winter.

When we arrived at the bonfire, Lissa immediately went in search for Christian. Sometimes it was a complete drag to have a best friend in a serious relationship, but having Sophia to stick around as a wingman usually helped. I tried my best not to focus on Dimitri, but as soon as he came into my orbit, I felt that familiar tug towards him. Chancing a glance at him I found him giving me a warm smile that set my heart a flutter.

"Okay not to sound insensitive, but damn Dimitri looks hot." Sophia admitted shamelessly and laughed when I gave her the evil eye. She wasn't lying though; he was the picture of perfection. He had his air down loose around his shoulders the way I liked, and the blue jeans he was wearing fit him snugly in all the right places. It wasn't until he turned around completely that I noticed the sweater he was wearing. It was partly obscured by the jacket he was wearing but I'd know that red sweater anywhere. It was the one I bought him for Christmas two years ago after complaining that he didn't own anything in his wardrobe that wasn't black. He seemed to notice my preoccupation with his attire and started to make his way over.

"Nice sweater" I commented when he was close enough to hear.

"Thanks, it was a gift from someone special." He smirked and I couldn't help the small smile that spread out on my face.

"Well isn't this nice, seeing the two of you getting along." Ivan bellowed, holding a bright red solo cup in his hands. Clearly he was halfway in the bottle.

"Are you drunk already?" I asked and Dimitri gave me a knowing look.

"Hey, don't get all judgey on me. And here I was going to offer you my drink." Ivan slurred, sloshing around the liquid in his cup.

"Thanks but I'll pass." I laughed, noticing the grimace on Dimitri's face.

"Who's your hot friend?" Ivan asked suddenly, drawing his attention towards Sophia. She rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed by him and I had to stifle a laugh at her expression.

"Ivan Zelekos, this is Sophia Romanov, my guardian." Sophia extended her hand politely and Ivan quickly pulled her hand to his mouth to kiss it.

"It's lovely to meet you Sophia. You can guard my body any day."

"Really? That's the best you've got?" Sophia asked sarcastically pulling her hand away from his face. Ivan's face fell slightly as he watched Sophia stalk away towards the drink table.

"What did I say?" he asked, looking between Dimitri and me. Dimitri just shook his head laughing, and patted his drunken friend on the back. Just as quickly as he noticed Sophia, someone else caught his attention and his cheeky smirk returned. "Excuse me you two."

For the longest minute, we both stood their silently feeling awkward. It didn't used to be that way with us, and it made me sad to feel that way now. Looking at Dimitri I knew he was feeling the same thing. I racked my brain for something to say to ease the tension but every time I went to open my mouth it just didn't seem to feel right. I was just about to give up and walk away when Dimitri grabbed my hand.

"Please don't go." He said softly, begging me with his chocolate brown eyes. I tried to fight against that electric pull I felt between us but it was useless. One look at those eyes and I was hypnotized.

"Take a walk with me?" He asked, and I nodded my head stupidly. I was vaguely aware of an exchange between him and Sophia as he silently asked her to keep an eye on Ivan and after gripping his hand tightly around mine, we took off at a walk towards the tree line.


	4. Chapter 4

**Dimitri's Point of View**

The sound of the bonfire started to fade into the background the further we got into the tree line. I still couldn't believe Rose had agreed to be alone with me, and I knew I had a stupid smile plastered on my face. Rose confirmed as much when she chuckled lightly beside me.

"Smile any bigger and you'll split your face Comrade."

"I can't help it" I admitted, pulling her to a stop and facing me. "You look lovely tonight." A wonderful blush crept across her features, somehow making her even more beautiful. Without thinking, my hand reached out to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear and she surprised me by leaning into my touch.

"Dimitri…" she started, staring up at me with loving eyes. No more words were necessary between us. I knew what she wanted and I was more than happy to oblige. But just as our lips brushed against one another, we were startled apart by an earsplitting scream, followed by another, and soon the whole forest was flooded with activity. I saw a group of students come flying towards us, total fear plastered across their face.

"Strigoi!" One shouted as he ran past, nearly knocking over another student in the process. Rose spun back around to stare at me wide eyed, when all of sudden her face went completely blank. It was without a doubt the most terrifying minute of my life, seeing her stare off in space with dead eyes, but just as suddenly as it happened, she snapped back into her body, an expression of horror on her face.

"Lissa!" she cried, taking off at a dead sprint in the direction of the bonfire. What the hell was she doing?

"Roza wait!" I called out to her, but she only pushed herself further. Clearly she'd been keeping up with her training because even with my long legs I struggled to keep pace with her. Quicker than seemed possible, we burst back into the open field, and a horrifying sight awaited us. All around guardians were engaged in combat, and several bodies were scattered about the ground. My trained eyes quickly searched for Ivan and noticed he was using his earth powers to shake the ground in front of him, successfully keeping the Strigoi at bay. I caught Sophia's eye and noticed her face contort in fear as her eyes focused somewhere behind me. I spun around searching for the danger when I noticed Rose making her way towards Lissa and Christian.

Both of their guardians lay dead on the ground and Christian was struggling to maintain the protective ring of fire around them. It was clear just by looking at him he wouldn't be able to hold them off for much longer. The Strigoi seemed to have noticed it as well because 4 of them were now stalking towards the couple, snarling with malicious excitement. I carefully tore my eyes away from the threat to look at Rose and tried to control the fear coursing through my body.

She was almost directly behind one of the larger Strigoi, a silver stake in hand that she retrieved from somewhere hidden on her body. Just as she reached the monster, he spun around and back handed her sending her flying backwards a few feet. The blow had to have hurt, but with lithe reflexes she was back on her feet in no time, smiling pleased with herself and the distraction she'd created. Without another thought, I quickly jumped into action.

I staked the first Strigoi I came to easily, mainly due to the element of surprise. But as I started to take on the second one, I knew he would be more of a challenge. Clearly he was older than the first, and much better at controlling his movements. He landed a few good blows, but not before I gained the upper hand. With a swift controlled movement, I slide the stake easily between his ribs and pierced through the heart. With two down, I turned my attention back to Rose. She had managed to stake one Strigoi and had taken up a defensive positon in front of Lissa and Christian.

The last Strigoi in their group was a large burley man, and he stalked towards Rose, clearly un-phased by the threat she posed. That was his first mistake, underestimating Rose Mazur. I had learned long ago, Moroi or not, she was a force to be reckoned with. Nearby I heard Sophia scream and my head swiveled around in the direction of Ivan. A Strigoi had her by the throat, and Ivan was lying unconscious on the ground. I looked around furiously, hoping to find anybody who could help. Ivan and Sophia needed me, but could I honestly leave Rose to fend for herself?

"Comrade go!" she screamed at me over the commotion. I stared at the woman I loved torn, and desperately prayed for a miracle.

**Rose's Point of View**

What was he doing?! If he didn't start moving his ass, we were both about to lose our best friends.

"Comrade go!" I shouted, never taking my eyes off the Strigoi in front of me.

"That's awfully noble of you little girl, sacrificing yourself for your friends. Surely you must know the second you're on your own I'll tear you limb from limb." He sneered, looking a little too smug for my taste.

"You Strigoi are all the same. You should really hire someone to write you some new material." I taunted, carefully calling on all the power within me. I was pretty exhausted from the fighting, but I knew I had enough left for what I needed to do.

Apparently he didn't care much for my comment because he let out a menacing growl before lunging. I had expected a little more pomp and circumstance from him, so the action caught me by surprise. With the force of a bulldozer, he tackled me to the ground, pinning me under his weight while I struggled to get free. I flinched in pain as his fangs sank deeply into my neck.

"Rose!" Lissa screamed, giving me the distraction I needed. With one loose hand free I summoned all the energy I could muster, and completely engulfed the bastard in flames. Above me he began to thrash wildly screaming, and I rolled out from under him, trying to put on the fire that had managed to attach to my own clothes. I'd managed to enflame him with enough fire to even surprise me, and within a few seconds, he was nothing more than a heap of charred ash on the ground.

With the threat finally at bay, I succumbed to the full extent of my injuries and finally felt the agonizing pain in my neck. I had a feeling I was losing blood at too rapid a rate, but I couldn't focus on that right now, not if I wanted to stay conscious.

"Lissa" I croaked out, needing to know she was okay.

"I'm right here!" she cried, pressing her hands on my neck to cover the bleeding. Within seconds I felt the familiar tingle of Lissa's magic and I knew she was healing my wounds. As the bleeding on my neck slowed to a halt, I finally let my eyes droop closed, and completely gave in to the darkness.

"_Leave him alone!" I cried, as I watched the Strigoi sink his greedy fangs into Eddie's neck. _

_We'd be stuck in that basement for more than a day, and I could see the toll the blood loss was taking on him. With Christian and Mason tied up nearby, I wasn't optimistic we'd find a way out of this. _

"_Quiet girl!" The Strigoi snarled, returning his attention back to Eddie. His face was completely blank, and his body hung limply in the chair. _

"_Please, just stop. Drink me instead!" I pleaded, terrified I was about to watch the life drain out of my friend. The Strigoi turned back to me with an evil smile, and the sight of it made my skin crawl. _

"_Don't tell me, the sweet little princess of Abe Mazur is nothing more than a blood whore?" I snarled in response to the insult. "Oh and she's quite feisty too. Alas I must inform you that I am saving you for later. You serve a purpose my dear, and are much too valuable to squander on a simple lunch."_

_Much to my relief, he left Eddie alone after that and the moment the door closed I broke down in tears._

"_Shhh, it's okay Rose, we'll figure this out." Mason cooed, trying to sooth my tears. _

"_How" I cried, feeling utterly defeated. We'd been here for over a day and they still had yet to find us. Internally I cursed Mason and his stupidity for getting us into this mess. _

"_Rose, I think I know a way out of this, but it's not going to be pleasant." Christian grimaced. At this point I'd chop off one of my own limbs if it meant I could get out of this mess and back to Lissa and Dimitri. _

_Dimitri._

_He must be going out of his mind right now. And after that stupid fight we had, I knew he'd be busy blaming himself. _

"_Whatever it is, I'll do it." I told Christian, and honestly I meant it._

"_We can burn the plastic of the zip ties on our wrists, but that'll mean burning our wrists as well. I'd do it myself if I thought we had enough time, but we don't. We need to work together. You free yourself and then Mason and I'll get Eddie."_

When I woke up, I was no longer in the basement of the house in Spokane, and my wrists were no longer on fire. My arms on the other hand were another story. Even with Lissa's healing, I could still feel the slight burns from where my sweater caught on fire. Knowing Lissa she would have happily healed those as well, but we had a long debated agreement that the only healing I would accept was if the injury was fatal. The neck had been a necessary evil but healing minor burns was most definitely off limits.

"Roza" I heard a husky Russian voice call out. Opening my eyes, I was met with the beautiful sight of Dimitri's soft gaze. He was leaning forward in the hard plastic chair next to my hospital bed, gently stroking my cheek with his hand.

"Hi" I croaked, trying not to wince at the pain taking caused me.

"Shhh Milaya, don't talk. Just rest." He encouraged, handing me a small cup of water. I greedily took it all in, and Dimitri smirked when the straw made an empty sucking sound.

"I can get you more if you'd like." He told me as he began to stand up from his chair. The thought of him leaving the room sent me into a panic and I quickly grabbed his hand to stop him.

"No Comrade, please don't leave me." Even I could hear the desperation in my voice and coupled with my big pleading eyes, there was no way Dimitri could refuse. The nightmare of my time in Spokane was fresh in my mind, and the idea of being separated from Dimitri right now was agonizing.

"What is it Roza, what's wrong?" Dimitri was always able to read me like a book, and any effort to lie to him would be futile. With a defeated sigh, I turned to meet his gaze.

"I had a nightmare…about Spokane." And with those six words, Dimitri didn't hesitate to climb into my bed. Pulling me carefully to his body, he began lovingly stroking my hair. No more words were needed between us. Dimitri had been there that day, and he already knew what I was feeling. Instead of talking, I simply snuggled closer into Dimitri's chest and let his gentle Russian murmurs lull me safely back to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Rose's Point of View**

It had been a week since the bonfire, and the school with still a buzz with the recent attack. The guardians from court had shown up immediately to launch an investigation and found the wards had been staked by humans, allowing the Strigoi to attack. Dimitri had managed to get to Sophia and Ivan in time, but the same couldn't be said for Lissa's guardian. They were quick to send a replacement and we were still trying to adjust to the recent addition of Serena. She was a nice enough girl, but I couldn't help but loathe the way they "replaced" guardians, like they were something instead of someone.

Dimitri and I had shared a moment when I woke up after the attack but since then, I'd gone back to avoiding him. I knew it wasn't completely fair, but being that close to him had stirred up a lot of memories, ones I didn't think I was ready to deal with. Ever since that nightmare about Spokane, I couldn't get Mason off my mind. Everything that had happened that day and all the things that had led up to it, including Tasha. It didn't help matters that she had shown up at Lehigh two days later, eager to check on her nephew.

Tasha was Christian's aunt, and Dimitri's friend, much to her dismay. She'd never made a secret of her feelings for Dimitri and when she showed up at the academy two years, she did so with an offer she never thought he'd refuse. She wanted him to request to be her guardian, and in turn was willing to have children with him. For most male Dhampirs, having kids wasn't really an option, and I knew Dimitri well enough to know he'd always dreamed to be a father. He politely declined her offer, but she didn't go down without a fight. It was a constant source of tension between us all winter break and part of what lead up to the incident in Spokane.

I was still sulking about the memory when I entered the cafeteria to find Lissa. Unfortunately for me, she was sitting with the last person I wanted to see right now.

"Hello Rose." Tasha smiled politely when I approached.

"Tasha." I answered curtly, feeling a little guilty for my tone. "I'm sorry, that was rude. I'm just not having a very good day." I tried to remind myself that Tasha wasn't a bad person. Hell, who could blame her for having the hots for Dimitri? And when she went after him, it's not like she knew we were together, no one did. He was my teacher and I was his student.

"After the week you've had, who could blame you."

For the rest of dinner I tried hard not to focus on the conversation at the table, and until Dimitri walked in I was doing a pretty good job. Of course the moment Tasha noticed him that was all ruined.

"Dimka!" she cried, jumping him and throwing herself into his arms.

Ugh. Dimka. It's such a terrible nickname. I teased him relentlessly about it when I'd first heard it, and I hated it even more coming out of Tasha's mouth.

"Natasha, what are you doing here?" Dimitri asked hugging her back lightly, trying to politely pry himself from her death grip.

"Did you honestly think Strigoi could attack my nephew's school and I wouldn't pass through to check on him? Besides it gives me a good excuse to run into you." She winked, and I had to resist the urge to chuck my dinner roll at her head. As usual Dimitri seemed to read my mind and sent me an amused smirk.

"Well it's nice to see you again, but I actually came in here looking for Rose. Do you have a moment?" He asked unleashing the full effect of his dazzling smile. Damn he doesn't play fair. Any other day I might have been able to resist, but I secretly enjoyed the way Tasha's face fell when he mentioned me, so against my better judgment I joined him outside.

"You've been avoiding me." He accused the moment we were outside the building.

"Maybe." I admitted, looking everywhere but at him.

"Roza…" he said softly, backing me against the wall. "Please don't shut me out. Whatever is going on with you, let me help."

"You can't help Dimitri, there's nothing to help with." I lied, but as usual he saw right through it.

"You can lie to the others Roza, but you could never lie to me. Is this about Spokane?" he asked gently, knowing just mentioning the word might set me off. "What happened to Mason wasn't your fault, I thought you understood that." And just like that my mood shifted.

"I thought I understood a lot of things back then, like your feelings for me. But I was wrong about that too." I spat, jerking my arm away from his grasp. I watched as my words struck him as strongly as any slap, but I couldn't bring myself to feel sorry for him right now. Mason was still dead, and he had still left me, and Tasha was back in our lives and it was still all my fault. So I took advantage of the fact that he was emotionally paralyzed and fled back to my dorm room.

**Dimitri's Point of View**

I'd never met a more infuriating woman.

It was like one step forward and two steps back with Rose. I honestly thought we were making progress after the attack. Not only had she almost kissed me, she'd opened up to me in the hospital and even let me hold her through the night. I wanted nothing more than to sleep with her in my arms, but the moment was too precious to waste, so I spent the whole night watching her sleep, trying to memorize every part of her, and the way she felt wrapped in my arms. It had been so long since she'd let me hold her like that, and who knew if she'd ever let it happen again.

Of course when I woke up the next morning, she was as closed off as that first day all over again. I'd spent the last week trying to give her space, give her time to grieve, but enough was enough. I loved her and it was about time she knew it.

I had this whole speech planned out in my head, but the moment I walked into the cafeteria and saw Tasha it was all shot to hell. Rose despised Tasha, and her constant flirting didn't help matters. Despite my numerous efforts to convince her otherwise, Tasha seemed relentless in her quest to be mine.

I was still standing there in shock from Rose's verbal slap when I heard Lissa approach from behind me.

"Don't just stand there, go after her." She urged with a gentle push.

"You didn't hear what she said Lissa; she doesn't want to see me." It broke my heart to say the words even though I knew they were true.

"I didn't need to hear her Dimitri, I hear her every night. She wakes crying for you in the middle of the night, she's just too stubborn to admit it. Now go after her. I'll hang out at Christians and give you some privacy."

When I arrived outside Rose's door, I could make out the faint sound of someone crying on the other side. I felt my heart wrench at the knowledge that she was suffering, and quickly began to knock on the door. I was desperate to get into that room, and taking that painfully stubborn woman into my arms.

"Dimitri?" she sniffled when she swung the door open. True to my word I pushed my way into the room and wrapped her tightly in my arms. The action only seemed to spur another round of tears and I picked her up bridal style and carried her over to the bed. I'm not sure how long we sat there holding one another, but eventually her sobs began to subside.

"I'm so sorry Dimitri, I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."

"Shhh, don't apologize Milaya, you have nothing to apologize for." I reassured her, stroking her hair, and breathing in the heavenly scent of jasmine.

"I just feel so overwhelmed." She admitted, twisting absently at a loose string on the edge of her shirt. "Ever since the attack, I can't stop thinking about Mason. And then Tasha showed up reminding me of what led me to lead Mason on in the first place. And of course the last time something like this happened, I had Eric and Rhea but now they're gone too. Everyone I love always leaves me." I could feel her chest heave slightly as another round of sobs racked her body.

"I'm so sorry Roza, so so sorry. I wish there was something I could do, something I could say to make it better." I hated to see her in so much pain, and hearing her mention Eric and Rhea only reminded me that she had suffered even more loss since Spokane.

"Your being here helps" she whispered, pulling her face back from the crook of my neck to look at me. Her beautiful brown eyes were rimmed in red, but even with a tear stained face she was breathtaking. She was staring at me so earnestly, all the love and affection I felt for her reflected back in her own eyes. In that moment I wanted nothing more than to kiss her, so that's exactly what I did.

I gently cradled her face in my hands, pressing my lips against hers in the lightest touch. I wasn't sure if kissing her was what she wanted, but when she snaked her arms around my neck, I knew she wanted more. Eager to please her I deepened the kiss, licking across her bottom lip asking for entrance. Without hesitation she opened up and I let out a soft moan when my tongue entered her mouth and she pulled my face impossibly closer by my hair. She tasted exactly like I remembered, and I had the sensation of coming home. Kissing Rose was like nothing I could ever dream of on my own, and it reminded me of all the reasons why I could never want any woman but her.

As the kissing intensified, she changed her position on my lap until she was straddling me, and let out her own soft moan when she felt my manhood press against her. I wanted to take her right here and now in this bedroom, but Roza deserved so much more than that. After everything I had put her through, I this to be special, to love her properly and worship her body like the goddess she was. With great effort I managed to pull back, pressing my forehead against hers.

"God I've missed you Roza."

"I've missed you too Comrade."

We weren't back to where we were, but as Rose fell asleep in my arms that night, I knew at least it was a start.


	6. Chapter 6

**Rose's Point of View**

Buzz Buzz Buzz

"Roza, the phone" Dimitri grumbled beside me.

Buzz Buzz Buzz

"Roza…answer your phone.

Buzz Buzz Buzz

"ROZA!"

Ugh, alright already! Reaching over blindly I swiped away at the bedside table before my hands latched on to the offensive little object.

"What" I growled into the other end.

"Now is that any way to greet your father little girl?"

"Old Man?" It was a silly question, of course it was him. But it wasn't my birthday or Christmas, so I couldn't understand what would warrant a phone call.

"The one and only. Now get dressed and open the door. I'd like to take my beautiful little girl out to breakfast."

"What? You're here, like outside my dorm room door?" I shot a panicked glance at Dimitri and noticed he had already sprang into action. With lightning fast reflexes he was out of the bed and pulling on his t shirt and jeans. However In his haste to get dressed, he tripped on a shoe and went tumbling into the nightstand with a crash.

"Rose, what was that noise? Are you alright?"

_Shit!_

"I'm fine dad; I just tripped on a shoe. You kind of caught me off guard here you know, I was sleeping until 20 seconds ago."

"Uh huh. Is there someone in there with you?"

_Double Shit!_

"What? Of course not. Why would you think that?" I heard a low growl on the other end and even I wasn't buying that line.

"Rosemarie Elizabeth Mazur, you open this door right now!" He bellowed on the other end.

Shit Shit Shit!

With a defeated sigh, I straightened out my own clothes and opened the door. Standing in the hallway with a murderous expression was the one and only Abe Mazur. He was dressed to the nines as usual, wearing a flashy pinstripe suit and a bright pink tie, with a matching handkerchief and his signature gold earring. The moment his eyes landed on Dimitri he lost it.

"You! What the hell are you doing in here?" Abe and Dimitri had only met once, and that was after the Spokane incident. It was one of the last time's I saw Dimitri as well. I knew he was wondering what the hell my former mentor was doing in my bedroom at 8am, and I doubted any explanation we could come up with would really matter. So I did what any daughter would do in a moment like this, I pulled out the big guns.

"Daddy…please don't be angry." I pleaded, giving him my biggest puppy dog eyes. The words sounded all wrong coming out of my mouth, but if they did the trick, it'd be worth it. His eyes only softened the slightest bit at hearing me call him daddy, but at least he wasn't actively trying to kill Dimitri. Turning his attention back to me, his face was less extreme.

"Explain." He ordered, shooting one more glance at Dimitri.

"I've been having nightmares again…about Spokane." Abe's gaze immediately softened as he recalled the memory of that trip. "Ever since the attack on the college, it's started up again, and Dimitri stayed with me last night so I wouldn't be alone." He seemed to weigh this explanation for a minute, before remembering something.

"Well where's Lissa? Why isn't she here with you?"

"Lissa spends a lot of time with her boyfriend Christian. I just didn't want to be alone last night." I mentally hoped Dimitri wouldn't take my words to heart. Sure they were partly true, but I would have wanted Dimitri to stay last night, regardless.

"Okay Flower, I guess I can understand that." He said softy. "However, your services will no longer be needed Guardian Belikov, so you're free to go." He added harshly.

"Don't be so rude Old Man!" I scolded, turning my gaze back to Dimitri. "Thank you for staying last night. I'll call you later." I noticed Abe's jaw clench at the mention of further contact, but he kept quiet while he waited for Dimitri to close the door behind him.

"Well then" he said cheerily once it was just the two of us. "How about that breakfast?"

* * *

><p><strong>Dimitri's Point of View<strong>

Well that was one hell of a way to wake up.

Last night had been surreal, and I was walking on cloud nine now that Roza hadn't gone back to freezing me out this morning.

"Someone's in a good mood." Ivan remarked from his seat on the bed. "Could it be because he spent the whole night out with a feisty brunette Moroi?"

"Well it's certainly not from being woken up with a surprise visit from said Moroi's crazy father."

"Dude! Abe Mazur caught you in bed with his daughter? How are you still breathing?" Ivan laughed heartily and the infectious sound made me join in.

"She pulled out the Daddy card." I admitted with a smirk and Ivan laughed even louder.

"Oh man, I'm totally going to tease her for that later." He said wiping a tear from his eye.

"Don't you dare!" I growled.

I didn't know how long Rose would be out with her father, so in an effort to kill some time I headed down to the gym for a workout. Last night felt like a turning point for me and Rose, now I just had to figure out a way to keep reassuring her.

"Dimka!" Tasha called out, as she strutted through the gym doors. She was dressed in workout clothes that looked more stylish than practical and I had to suppress an eye roll when I noticed she was even wearing makeup. Of all the things I needed to do to get back in Rose's good graces, staying away from Tasha was at the top of that list. Looking at her now reminded me of what happened with Spokane:

* * *

><p><em>***After a recent string of attacks near the academy, the school and all its officials felt the holiday would be spent safer if everyone celebrated in a single approved environment. It's how we'd all ended up at a Royal Ski resort about an hour outside of Spokane. <em>

_Ever since Tasha had arrived she'd been a constant source of tension between Roza and I. No matter how many times I tried to reassure her my feelings were strictly platonic, she'd break out in a fit of jealously any time she saw us together. I tried to be understanding, but it was the first time since we'd gotten close that I actually felt some of the age difference between us._

"_Roza for the last time, nothing is going on with Tasha!"_

"_Well why not Comrade? She's hot and willingly and ready to give you babies. You can't tell me you don't want those things, you're 24 years ago. It has to have crossed your mind!"_

_It was true Tasha had made a tempting offer. It's not often Dhamphir men are given the opportunity to start a family and had I not fallen in love with Rose I probably would have taken it._

"_Roza, please be reasonable. Of courses I want all those things, but I want them all with you."_

"_I'm 17 Comrade! Are you crazy?!"_

_God she could be so infuriating._

"_Don't be absurd, I didn't mean right now. I only mean someday." _

"_You say that now, but you'll change your mind. You're not getting any younger you know."_

"_And your clearly not getting any older!" she visibly flinched when I referenced her immature behavior and I was pretty sure if would have hurt less if I had actually slapped her._

"_See you even admitted it yourself. Tasha is the adult here, and me I'm just a stupid child!"_

"_That's not what I meant and you know it!" I shouted, getting angrier by the second. Why was she being so difficult? Was she trying to convince me to be with Tasha? Did she want me to give her an out so she could date someone closer to her own age? I'd seen the way she flirted constantly with Mason Ashford. He was funny and smart and could always manage to make her smile._

"_Is this about Mason?" I asked without thinking and her eyes hardened at my line of questioning. _

"_What the hell does Mason have to do with this?"_

"_I've seen the way you act around him Rose. The constant laughing and flirting, you even told him about the Strigoi nest in Spokane!" We'd gotten word about a possible Strigoi location and Rose had been foolish enough to mention it to her novice friends one night while they were drinking._

"_What are you trying to insinuate?" she glared at me, her eyes completely clouded in anger._

"_That you like Mason just as much as I like Tasha!" _

_Oh shit, that's not at all how I meant it._

"_You like Tasha?" she cried, her eyes welling up in tears. "I knew it, I knew you were lying!" _

_I was so busy trying to find a way to backtrack in my head that I couldn't stop her before she turned tail and ran. _

"_Roza wait!" I called after her, but she was already out of sight._

_I had never meant to tell her I liked Tasha, just that my flirtation with her was as innocent as her flirtation with Mason. Of course that wasn't even close to how it came out, and now Rose was God knows where in this monstrosity of a resort, somewhere thinking I didn't want her. Unbeknownst to me at the time, I would spend the next several hours searching for her, but the next time I would see her would be two days later at the Strigoi nest in Spokane.***_

* * *

><p>"Hello, Earth to Dimka" Tasha chuckled pulling me back to the present. I shook my head trying to clear away the memory and was met with Tasha's sparkling ice blue eyes.<p>

"I'm sorry Tasha, but I've got to go." I told her as I started stuffing my towel and water in my gym bag.

"But I just got here" she pouted. "I was hoping maybe we could spar together." She was giving me what Rose always referred to as a man-eater smile, but unfortunately for her it had little effect on me.

"I'm sorry Tasha, but maybe some other time." It was a lie of course; I intended to avoid her like the plague. The last thing I wanted was to give Rose a reason to second guess me, not after coming this far.

"This is about Rose isn't it?" She called when I was halfway to the door. I spun around to face her and found an accusing glare in her eyes. "She's the reason you won't agree to my offer. Honestly Dimka, she's just a child, what are you thinking?"

Her words stung and I struggled to control my anger.

"Don't talk about her that way. Roza may be young, but she's no child. I care about her Tasha. I love her."

Even though she had called me out on my feelings I don't think she was prepared to hear me say that. She let out an audible gasp and her ice blue eyes were frozen over.

"I'm sorry Tasha, but if I'm the only reason you stuck around here, then you should go."

"You're making a mistake Dimitri!"

Huh, no Dimka this time. She must really be pissed off now.

"Goodbye Natasha." And I closed the gym door to the sound of her hitting things.


	7. Chapter 7

**Rose's Point of View**

"So are you honestly going to make me ask what's going on with you and that older Dhamphir?"

_That's Abe Mazur for you; blunt and straight to the point._

"I honestly think it isn't any of your business Old Man."

"I'm your father Rosemarie, everything you do is my business."

I was trying very hard not to lose my temper with him, but who the hell does he think he is showing up out of the blue and demanding to know all the intimate details of my life. If Eric Dragomir had been asking me these questions I might have felt compelled to answer, but then again Eric practically raised me, he wasn't the show father Abe tended to be.

I think Abe sensed he'd get no more out of me on the matter because with a disgruntled snort he finally let it go.

"Well either way, I only asked because I just came from court and I thought you should know I ran into Adrian."

_Oh no._

"What?"

Adrian Ivashkov was the Queen's nephew and another source of tension between Dimitri and me. I'd met him at the Ski Resort near Spokane and from that moment on, he's made it his mission in life to make me fall in love with him. The problem with that is he's nothing more than a womanizing alcoholic with his own set of obvious daddy issues.

Okay, maybe that's not entirely fair. In truth Adrian is a nice enough guy and I know his feelings are genuine. But just being around him is a lot of work, and even if it weren't, I love Dimitri. After Spokane and when Dimitri left, Adrian had been a pretty good friend to me. He was supportive and a good listener, but despite his best efforts my heart just wasn't in it, not that he let that stop him. He was as persistent as ever right up until the plane crash, but I think after the fall out he realized the last thing I needed was a romantic entanglement, and for the first time in over a year he backed off. Somehow I had a feeling that was about to change.

"I ran into Adrian while visiting with Tatianna, and we got to talking about you. He hadn't heard you and Lissa decided on attending Lehigh, but he was very pleased when he found out. Needless to say, Tatianna was more than willing to pull a few strings for her favorite nephew, so I wouldn't be surprised if you were to run into him any day now."

_Well isn't that just peachy._

"He's a wonderful young man Rose, and nothing would please the Queen more than to see you two get together." I had spent most of this conversation staring at my plate but something in his tone made me curious. Looking at the mischievous twinkle in his eye, I suddenly felt nervous.

"That's not going to happen Old Man."

"Because you're smitten with that older Dhamphir, yes?" I seriously hated when he acted like this, as if he were all powerful and knowing. The man calls on my birthday and Christmas, what makes him think he knows anything about me?

"No, it's because Adrian isn't my type." I growled, growing more annoyed by the second.

"No of course he's not. Your type is of a more burley, eastern European nature." He smirked, clearly enjoying my reactions.

"Oh for the love of God, would you give it a rest already!" I was aware that I was shouting in the middle of a restaurant, but I couldn't really bring myself to care.

"Fine, I admit it. I don't want Adrian, I want Dimitri. Are you happy now? Are you satisfied?" Judging by the smug look on his face, he was.

"I'd be happier if you set your sights on someone more realistic Flower. You're young and I won't spoil your fun right now, but surely you must understand that your future is with someone like Adrian."

"My future is with whomever I want it to be!" I snapped, drawing even more attention to myself.

Sitting here, having this conversation right now, it was exactly what Dimitri had always been so worried about, and for the first time since he left I truly understood his fears. However the thing Dimitri failed to take into consideration is that being the daughter of Abe Mazur has its advantages, one of which was that I inherited his stubbornness. I was my own person, with my own dreams, and I'd be damned if I let my father or anyone else tell me who I could love.

The look of shock on Abe's face made it clear he hadn't expected such a hostile reaction out of me, which just goes to show how little he actually knows about me.

"You're making a scene Rosemarie, now sit down."

_Huh. I hadn't even realized I was standing, but now that I was, I was ready to go._

"No, I will not sit down. Now you listen here Old Man and you listen well. You can go back and tell the Queen and Adrian and anyone else for that matter that what I do and who I end up with is none of your damn business. It's my life and I will live and love the way I see fit, and no amount of social pressure or expectations will ever convince me otherwise."

I didn't stick around long enough to hear what he had to say. He had shown up here, ruining a perfectly good morning, and the only thing I wanted to do now was find the one person who could turn this day around.

* * *

><p><strong>Dimitri's Point of View<strong>

I had just stepped out of the shower when I heard the rapid sound of a tiny fist hammering away at the door. I immediately knew it was Rose, I'd heard that sound enough time's at the academy.

Ivan was sitting on the bed looking curiously at the door, and when I swung it open Rose hurled herself into my arms. I instinctively wrapped my arms around her shooting Ivan a worried look. Apparently breakfast with her father hadn't gone over so well. I pulled her over to my bed and gently sat her down.

"Roza, what's wrong." I asked her, gently rubbing her back.

"My dad's a dick." She replied, causing Ivan to involuntarily chuckle. Her head shot up at the sound and she gave him a look that would kill. He visibly gulped before standing.

"My bad. Look, I'm just gonna go…be anywhere else." He said before quickly leaving the room. With Ivan gone, I took Rose more intimately in my arms and she gladly curled herself into my body. I waited a few minutes for her to calm down, knowing she'd talk to me when she was ready, and after about five minutes she was.

"Do you remember our cabin at St. Vladimir's?" she asked.

How could I forget, it was the place where we first made love.

***Flashback***

"_Dimitri I don't do surprises!" Rose whined as I led her blindfolded up the path to the cabin. I had found the place while on patrol a few weeks ago and thought it would be the perfect escape for Roza and me. _

"_I can guarantee you; this is the kind of surprise you'll like." I promised, hoping to ease her mind._

"_Is it a sexy surprise, because that's my favorite kind…" She purred, causing my pants to tighten in response. Everything Roza did oozed sex appeal and it was getting harder and harder to resist her._

"_It could be…if you'd like it to be." I whispered, my voice low and husky._

"_Oh I'd like." She murmured in my ear. _

_Unsurprisingly Rose had much less self-control than me, and she was constantly challenging me to take our relationship to the next level. I'd been putting it off for a while now, but not for lack of my own need. I wanted nothing more than to ravish her body, but I also knew she was a virgin and the last thing I wanted was for her to do something she might regret. _

_When we reached the front door, I gently pulled her to a stop. She was bouncing up and down in eager anticipation so I opened the door and carefully removed the blindfold. The moment she regained sight she gasped._

"_Dimitri…it's beautiful!" _

_I wanted the first time she saw this place to be special so I'd taking extra care to cover every flat surface in candles. I'd arranged several bouquets of Lilies around the table tops and since it was November, there was a warm glow radiating from the fireplace._

"_Do you like it?" I asked hesitantly. I hadn't realized until just now how important her answer was for me. I wanted her to love this place as much as I did._

"_I love it." She whispered, turning her body into my arms. She reached up and snaked both arms around my neck, pulling me down to her height for a passionate kiss. I hadn't meant to let myself get so carried away, but the enthusiasm with which she kissed me was overwhelming. All at once my senses were over taken and the only thing that existed in this world was Roza. _

_Somehow we had managed to find ourselves on the small cabin bed and Rose deftly removed my shirt. As our lips broke apart to pull the shirt over my head, I was reminded of the gravity of our situation and I pulled back slightly to look at her. Sensing what I was about to say she pouted adorably before cutting me off._

"_Look, I know what you're about to say, and I'm warning you right now not to." She growled._

"_I love you Dimitri, more than anyone or anything in this world. I love the way you worry about me, the way you treat me, the way you see me, and the way you listen. When I'm in your arms, it's the only time I feel like I'm where I truly belong, and I know that I could search the rest of my life and never feel again the way I feel about you. So please, for the love of God, put me out of my misery already! I want you to make love to me Dimitri, this much I am sure of." _

_I looked into her eyes and saw she was telling the truth. I knew she loved me and I knew she wouldn't regret it. Her eyes lit up as she saw my own fears dissolve and I fiercely grabbed her face in a kiss. _

_No more words were needed between us, and holding her in my arms after we made love, I knew there was no going back._

_***End Flashback***_

"Of course I remember the cabin Milaya, why?" She looked at me with such a pain in her eyes, I wanted to hunt Abe Mazur down and strangle him for upsetting her.

"I just wish we could have stayed in that place forever. It was safe there, like our own little world. No one could touch us there, or judge us, or tell us how we feel is wrong. "

Ahh, so that's what's bothering her. Her father doesn't approve.

"Roza, the cabin was wonderful but I much prefer the real world. I don't want to hide my love away anymore. I don't want to pretend that what we have isn't worth fighting for. I made that mistake once and I won't do it again." I made sure to look her squarely in the eye, willing her to believe in me with all that I have. Judging by the subtle tears in her eyes, I think she did. Pushing her lips fiercely against mine, she sealed my declaration with a kiss that set my whole body on fire.

I didn't know what Abe Mazur said to her, or what our future held, but that kiss told me all that I needed to know. Whatever the future held we were in this thing together.


	8. Chapter 8

**Rose's Point of View**

"Rose you have to tell him." Lissa told me, while rummaging around in her closet.

Adrian could show up here any day now and I still hadn't gotten the nerve to tell Dimitri. I knew how he felt about him, and I wasn't looking forward to popping the pretty pink bubble we'd been floating around in for the last few weeks.

"How Liss? How do I tell Dimitri that the one man he feels most threatened by in this world is about to show back up in our lives, just when were finally getting our relationship back on track."

"Well certainly not like that." Sophia scoffed, looking up from the book she was reading.

"Thanks Soph, that's real helpful!" I glared.

"Rose, just talk to him. Tell him how much you love him and reassure him that Adrian showing up here doesn't mean anything is going to change for the two of you." Lissa encouraged. I knew she meant well but it annoyed me she made it sound so easy.

"What if…." I bit my lip in hesitation. I didn't want to finish that sentence out loud for fear that it might come true.

"What if what?" Lissa probed. Clearly she wasn't going to let me off that easily. With a defeated sigh I continued.

"What if when he finds out he starts second guessing me again? The last time Adrian showed up in our lives, it was after Spokane and Dimitri convinced himself I'd eventually leave him. What if after Adrian shows up he takes off again?"

There it was; the ugly truth of my mind. I wanted to trust Dimitri when he said he wouldn't leave, but after last time how could I be sure?

"Rose, he's not going to leave you." Lissa said sympathetically.

"It wouldn't be the first time." I muttered.

For the rest of the day I found myself incredibly distracted and as a result I completely let my guard down. I hadn't even bothered to notice that the door to our dorm room was slightly cracked before I entered and I gasped out loud at the sight before me.

The entire room was covered in black roses; large bouquets covered every flat surface. There were petals on the bed, strewn across the floor, and the smell alone was making me nausea's. I was so overwhelmed by the initial shock that it took me a moment to notice the note tied to a single stemmed black rose on a vase next to my bed side table.

"What the hell is all this?" Sophia asked glancing around the sinister room warily. Lissa and Serena were behind her looking equally disturbed. Something told me that whatever was in that note wasn't anything I wanted to read, but I took a deep breath and opened the note anyway.

_My Dearest Rosemarie,_

_It has taken quite a long to find you, but now that I have, I will never let you go._

_I'll be seeing you soon..._

_All my love,_

_Victor_

This can't be happening.

I knew the girls were all waiting for me to say something, but honestly, what could I say? The homicidal Strigoi who kidnapped and killed my friend is now stalking me? Just the thought of it made my head feel like it was going to explode. My hands got clammy, and I suddenly felt as if the rest of the world was moving too quickly. I tried to reach out and hold on to something, but all my hands caught was air. That's the last thing I remembered before it all went black.

* * *

><p><em>*Flashback*<em>

_We carefully made our way up the basement stairs, and I was desperately trying to ignore the blazing 3__rd__ degree burns on my wrist. We didn't have much time, who knew when the Strigoi would be coming back for us. We had been in that basement for over a day, but due to the lack of windows I had no clue as to whether or not we were working with daylight. If we were, all we had to do was make it out of this god forsaken house and we'd be home free, the Strigoi wouldn't be able to follow us._

_Beside me Mason was bearing the weight of a half conscious Eddie while Christian led the way, a fireball constantly burning in the palm of his hand._

_When we got to the top of the stairs, I carefully peeked my head around the corner and found the coast clear. Unfortunately for us, it was now night time._

"_Shit" I muttered, silently cursing our string of bad luck._

"_Just breathe Rose; everything's going to be okay." Christian told me, but one look at his face told me he wasn't so sure._

_The one good advantage to being trapped in this giant estate was the fact that it gave us plenty of places to hide, and that's exactly what we did. We had barely turned the corner into the living room when we heard the sound of their cold voices headed our way. We quickly back tracked and dodged into the first empty room we could find, which happened to be a library. There weren't very many places to hide in here, most of the room was furnished in bookshelves that covered and lined every wall. There was a small closet however, and we stealthily took cover in there. No sooner did we close the door that we heard them._

"_They've escaped!" Robert shouted, causing a flurry of activity._

_Beside me Eddie moaned loudly and I quickly covered his mouth. Just then two Strigoi entered the room. One was Robert Dorou who'd been torturing us, and the other was one I instinctively remembered. He was an older looking man, with salt and pepper hair and the same jade green colored eyes as Lissa, although his were now rimmed with red. It was Lissa's Uncle Victor._

"_How did this happen?" He asked Robert, casually taking a seat at his desk. He was the picture of tranquility, a stark contrast to the man standing across from him. Robert however looked ready to pull all of his hair out._

"_I have no idea! Those little fire using brats are probably to blame!" _

"_Surely I don't need to remind you how important Rosemarie is to me. I want her found, immediately." Victor told the other Strigoi, his voice taking on a slight edge._

"_Oh I'll find her alright, and when I do I'll drain her dry." Robert sneered._

_Faster than seemed possible, even for a Strigoi, Victor was out of his chair and had Robert pressed roughly against the wall._

"_You will do no such thing Brother! Rosemarie is of great value to me! I've spent far too much time tracking her where-a bout's to let your foul temper ruin anything, is that understood!" Robert just nodded numbly, clearly terrified._

"_Yes Brother, I'm so sorry."_

"_Good, now go find her." And with a sinister smile, Victor sent him on his way._

_*End Flashback*_

* * *

><p><strong>Dimitri's Point of View<strong>

The scene in Rose's room was horrifying.

As if the nightmare's weren't bad enough, now she had to worry about Victor finding her again, something Lissa told me Eric and Rhea had worked hard to ensure wouldn't happen.

"Dimitri, there's something else I think you should know." Sophia told me, pulling me from my own thoughts. She had a serious look on her face and immediately had my full attention.

"What is it Sophia?"

"It's about Adrian." She started, and I let out an involuntary growl. "When Abe was in town a few weeks ago, he told Rose Adrian was transferring here."

_Seriously, could things get any worse? And how could Rose have not told me?_

"Rose has known about this for weeks and didn't tell me?" I tried to keep the hurt out of my voice, but I couldn't help but feel a little betrayed.

"She had her reasons." Sophia looked at me sternly before continuing. "Rose was terrified that if you found out about Adrian being here, you'd start second guessing your place in her life again and take off."

I wanted to be angry with Rose for keeping this from me, but Sophia made a valid point. Not that I would ever make the same mistake again, but I could understand Rose's reluctance to believe me.

"I would never do that Sophia, please know that." She stared at me for a few months, studying my face looking for the truth, and when she was satisfied with what she found she gave me a halfhearted smile.

"Good. But now you need to make sure she knows that. I know she wanted to tell you herself, but she was scared, and now with Victor on the prowl, I figured I'd give her hand. It's one less thing for her to have to worry about."

"Thank you for telling me." I hated that Rose felt like she couldn't come to me herself, but what was important right now was making sure she felt safe and I was willing to do whatever it takes to make sure she stays that way.

* * *

><p><strong>Rose's Point of View<strong>

When I came to, I was alone in Dimitri's room. It was a little mortifying that I fainted, and I took the few moments I had alone to try to get my bearings.

"Oh good, you're awake."

I looked up and saw my Russian God standing there with a box of Krispy Kreme's. He wore a concerned look on his face, and underneath was some emotion I couldn't quite pinpoint.

"Are those for me?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood. I wiggled my eyebrows and it worked when he laughed.

"Of course Milaya." He settled himself next to me on the bed before opening the box and offering me a doughnut. He waited until my mouth was full before he started talking. "Sophia told me about Adrian." And I nearly choked on the doughnut in my mouth. He quickly began patting my back and gave me an apologetic look.

"Dimitri, I was going to tell you..."

"I know Roza." He cut me off. I thought he'd look angry, but mostly he just looked disappointed.

"I'm sorry." I told him, feeling like a horrible human being. Anybody who says anger is worse than disappoint is a liar.

"Rose, you have nothing to apologize for. I know I've given you enough reasons not to trust me, and I know you were scared I'd take off again. But please, believe me when I say this, I'm not going anywhere. Not now and not ever."

I looked into his eyes and they were full of such earnest truth, that suddenly all my previous fears seemed so ridiculous.

"Thank you." I told him resting my weary minded head on his shoulder.

"No about this whole mess with Victor..."

_Ugh. Way to kill the moment Dimitri. _

"I think we need to talk to your father."

"What?" I screeched. After his previous visit that was the last thing I wanted to do.

"Rose, if anybody can keep you safe, it's him. Now I know you're angry with him, and I'm angry with him too. But right now you're safety is the most important thing, which means..." He trailed off handing me the phone. I rolled my eyes before I took it and dialed.

"Hey Old Man, I think we need to talk."


	9. Chapter 9

**Dimitri's Point of View**

"This is bullshit!" Rose yelled as she stormed through my door, slamming it behind her.

_Knock Knock Knock_

"You see what I mean!" she cried incredulously, shooting an irritated glance at the door. I feared for the safety of the guardian on the other side so I pushed her gently towards the bed to answer the door myself.

"Guardian Belikov, I just wanted to make sure Ms. Mazur was safely inside with you." The guardian on the other side explained. I refrained from laughing at the absurdity of his statement; did he not just watched her walk through the door and start talking to me?

"Understood Guardian Ross, but I can assure you Rose is perfectly safe." When I closed the door to turn around and face her, Rose's position on the bed surprised me. She was sprawled across my bed wearing nothing but her underwear, and I had to fight back the urge to take her right there.

"Roza…" I chastised, pulling a large T shirt out of one of my dresser drawers and tossing it to her.

"Oh come on Comrade, I'm wound tighter than a spring. Help a girl out here!" She gave me her best man-eater smile and on the inside I was already picturing her underneath me. But outwardly I kept my impassive guardian mask in place.

"Roza, we've talked about this. Now is not the time."

"Ugh!" she groaned, pulling the T shirt over her head. I was eternally grateful because if I'd had to see her like that for a moment longer, I probably would have given in.

"Honestly Dimitri, if we hadn't had sex already, I'd swear you were gay."

I chuckled at the disgruntled look on her face as I climbed into bed beside her.

Ever since the incident with Victor, Roza spent most of her nights with me. It was like her and Ivan had switched guardians, and we laughed behind their backs about the fact that Ivan and Sophia thought they were fooling anybody. For weeks now they'd been more than willing to spend all their time together, pretending they were simply being supportive friends who wanted to give us more alone time.

Ha!

Despite her previous irritation with me, Rose snuggled closer into my body, laying her beautiful head on my chest. She let out a contented sigh when I started running my fingers through her hair.

"So Thanksgiving's coming up…" I stated conversationally.

"Don't remind me." She grumbled.

I couldn't quite make sense of her response. Last I knew Roza loved the holidays. The Dragomir's had always made such a big to do about them, even the littlest ones like St. Patrick's Day.

_The Dragomir's. _

_Oh Crap._

"Oh Roza, I'm sorry. I didn't even think…" I trailed off, feeling like an insensitive ass.

"Don't worry about it Comrade. I'm just not really looking forward to the holidays this year. It'll be the first one since the accident." She told me, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Do you want to talk about Milaya?"

"Nope" she replied, making sure to pop her P sound. She knew how much it irritated both me and Lissa. I rolled my eyes knowing she was doing it on purpose and a quick glance at her amused expression told me I was right.

Later that night after Rose dozed off I started thinking about the last Thanksgiving we spent together.

* * *

><p><em>*Flashback*<em>

_I hadn't really planned on spending the holiday with her. I knew the Dragomir's were in town, and there wasn't a very plausible explanation we could give them about me joining in on their private family dinner. Instead I had settled in with a new novel and was prepared to spend the evening in bed reading. I was just getting to a good part when my phone started buzzing on the nightstand._

_**Meet me at the cabin in 20-R**_

_She didn't have to tell me twice. _

_20 minutes later, I walked through the door of our little hideaway to find Roza impatiently waiting for me._

"_Took you long enough!" _

_She was wearing a beautiful blue sweater dress, and her luscious long brown hair was pushed away from her face with an adorable satin blue headband with a bow. She looked incredible. I didn't bother to dignify her impatience with a response. Roza was notorious for being less than punctual. Instead I used 3 large strides to close the distance between us and smother her with a heated a kiss. Since the moment I had entered the room I had been thinking about our last time here together, the night that we first made love. _

_When I finally pulled back from the kiss to catch my breath, Roza's beautiful face lit up with a dazzling smile._

"_Well hello to you too Comrade."_

"_I missed you today." I told her earnestly, pressing my lips against hers once more. _

"_So did I." she told me.__"Hence the secret rendezvous." She winked, gesturing around at the room we were in. She pressed her lips against mine again before remembering something._

"_Oh, I almost forgot, I brought you something." She ran over to the small kitchenette and pulled a heated plate out of the oven. I peered over to see that she had made me a plate of her leftover Thanksgiving dinner._

"_You didn't have to do that. Wasn't anyone suspicious about what you were doing sneaking off with a plate of food?"_

"_Nope." She smiled proudly. "I told Rhea it was for you. I played the whole, he's away from his family in Russia at the holiday's card and she practically insisted I bring this to you right away. In fact she actually chastised me for my poor manners, telling me I should have had the good sense to invite you to dinner."_

_I laughed at her smug expression and dug into the plate at her urging. When I was finished, she returned to the kitchen and pulled out two slices of pumpkin pie. _

"_For dessert…" she winked, carrying the two plates and a can of whip cream. The sinful side of me started picturing all the things I'd love to do with that whip cream, and in the way only Roza can, she started to strip herself of her shirt like she'd read my mind._

_2 hours later we were lying naked on a blanket in front of the fire, taking turns feeding each other the forgotten pieces of pumpkin pie._

"_Happy Thanksgiving Comrade." She whispered._

"_Happy Thanksgiving Milaya."_

_*End Flashback*_

* * *

><p><strong>Rose's Point of View<strong>

After Dimitri mentioned Thanksgiving the other night, I decided I was in need of a little Lissa time. With everything that had been going on lately, I hadn't exactly been a very good friend. However thanks to that pesky bond of ours, I knew she was holding up alright. She'd even managed to get into the holiday spirit and had insisted our day consist of some Christmas shopping.

"Liss do you really think leaving the wards is such a good idea. Dimitri is going to shit a brick when he finds out."

"Oh would you relax. Thanks to your dad we've got an army of guardians at our disposal. You've got nearly as many guardians as the queen now, we'll be fine."

"I hate to agree with Lissa, but I agree with Lissa." Christian piped up from behind me.

"Who invited Sparky? I thought this was a girl's day?"

Honestly I just loved to toy with Christian. I was actually kind of glad he was coming. Christian was one of my best friends, and Lissa wasn't the only one I'd been neglecting.

"Hey, I'm here at the princesses request little fireball."

"Ugh, seriously Christian, could you please not use Adrian's pet name for me." I complained, hating the reminder that he could be lurking somewhere nearby.

"Uh…speaking of Adrian." Lissa murmured, looking around anxiously.

"Oh no, I know that face. What is it Lissa, spit it out."

"Well, he may have called me last night to confirm were still going to court for Thanksgiving…"

"Lissa!" I cried.

If it were up to me, we'd be staying here at Lehigh for the holiday, but the Queen had reached out to Lissa and invited us back to court, and when the Queen sends out an invitation you can't exactly say no.

"Unbelievable." I grumbled, climbing into the packed SUV. "Oh look, it's my favorite Turkish jailer." I chirped, patting my fathers most trusted guardian Pavel on the back. Unlike most of the shmucks my father hired, Pavel wasn't half bad. In fact, I actually kind of liked the guy.

"Are we all set Miss Rose?"

"Seriously Pavel, we've talked about this. Enough of this 'Miss bullshit.' It's just Roses okay?"

"Of course Rose." He smirked, and pulled out onto the highway.

6 hours later we were dragging our plethora of bags back to the car when it happened.

Lissa had her arm looped lazily through mine, and we had deemed Christian the honorary bag boy. Sophia was trailing behind me close by, and I couldn't see Pavel and the others, but I knew that they were there. We had just about made it to the car when I saw him.

It was as if he appeared out of thin air, standing in front of us, a snarling sinister smile across his face.

"Hello Rose." He spoke and Sophia was in action within seconds.

If he'd been working alone it wouldn't have been so bad, but as if his words were the cue, more than 8 Strigoi suddenly surrounded us, and the fear I felt from Lissa through the bond was overwhelming. Next to me I saw Christian abandon the bags and replaced his hands with a warm fireball; I quickly followed suit.

By now all the guardians on this trip had emerged from the shadows and were currently involved in combat. I noticed Sophia struggling a bit to take down a fairly large Strigoi so with a flick of my wrist I set him a blaze, allowing her to stake him with ease.

Pavel was the next one I looked for, and I was horrified to find him on the ground, inches away from a Strigoi's fangs. I sent a fireball hurling towards the monster of top of him and was more than pleased when I saw the Strigoi burst in flames. Pavel shot me a grateful look and jumped back in the fray.

Unfortunately my joy was short lived when through the bond I felt Lissa's emotions spike with fear, and seconds later she let out a piercing scream. I spun around to find her in the tight embrace of a Strigoi who looked ready to snap her neck. I started to call on the fire within me, but the Strigoi just shook his head.

"I wouldn't try that if I were you. I'll have her neck snapped before the flames can finish me."

_Son of a bitch._

I let the fire disappear from my palm and mentally wondered why the hell Christian hadn't been watching her.

"Now, in the spirit of the holidays I'm willing to make you a deal." The Strigoi told me with a smug smile on his face. "You know why I'm here; you know that Victor wants you. So if you come with me willingly, I let your tasty little friend here go. If not, I'll just enjoy my thanksgiving dinner a few days early."

The fear and anguish circulating through the bond was overpowering and I was having a hard time not getting sucked into Lissa's head.

"Well Rosemarie, what's it going to be?" He asked, tightening his grip around Lissa's neck a little tighter.

Thanks to small miracles, it was a decision I didn't have to make.

"No deal." Pavel growled from behind him as he slid his stake through the heart. I watched as the Strigoi's eyes grew wide before they went blank; his grip on Lissa going slack as his body fell to the ground. Seconds later, she was in my arms bawling.

So much for a stress from day of Christmas shopping…


	10. Chapter 10

**Rose's Point of View**

_After hiding in that closet for what felt like an eternity, Victor finally left the room. We waited 5 more minutes for good measure before making a mad dash for the door._

_When we reached the hall way it was surprisingly deserted._

"_The coast looks clear." Mason whispered as we started to make our way towards the backdoor. The back of the estate contained an elaborate garden and would serve as the best escape route with the most hiding places. We knew from the ride over that our location wasn't too far from the main road. If we could just make it there, we could hitch a ride back to town and call for help._

_In a stroke of luck, Eddie was finally coming around, and when we walked out into the cold winter air I breathed a sigh of relief at the taste of freedom._

"_Were not out of the woods yet Rose, keep moving." Mason reminded me. We took off at a dead sprint and for the first time since I began my training with Dimitri, I was grateful he'd conditioned me into such a great runner. He'd always told me there would come a time when I'd be outnumbered and when that day came, I'd need to run instead of fight. _

_We were just about to the edge of the garden when a motion censored light flipped on._

_Shit!_

"_I think they're out here" I heard a Strigoi call out from somewhere nearby._

_Shit Shit Shit!_

_Christian and I exchanged a quick glance before two Strigoi appeared in front of us, but we quickly engulfed them in flames. It bought us a few minutes, but their screaming gave our location away._

"_Run!" Mason ordered and we all took off at a dead sprint. _

_Eddie, who had been doing so well, suddenly became a little wobbly on his feet. I had been trying my best to keep an eye on him, so when I glanced back I noticed he was no longer behind me._

"_Looking for this?" Robert asked, his fangs pressed up against Eddie's pale neck._

"_DON'T!" I shouted, drawing the attention of Mason and Christian. I could feel them both tugging on my arm, begging me to keep moving, but I wasn't about to just abandon Eddie to these monsters so I broke free of their grip. _

"_Good girl." Robert smiled, tossing a weakened Eddie to the ground with total disregard. I felt my anger beginning to build up inside of me. My palms started to get sweaty and I knew when I opened my clenched fist there'd be fire in my hands. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Christian already had Eddie up off the ground._

"_Take Eddie and get out of here!" I ordered them, never taking my eyes off of Robert. Every time I looked at this man I felt a hatred I didn't even know I was capable of. I wanted nothing more than to set him on fire and watch his body burn._

"_Rose, we're not leaving you." Christian argued, but I wasn't having any of that._

"_Just go!" I yelled. "It's me that they want. Please, I can't do this if you guys are here. I'll be fine, I promise." I could see the indecision in his eyes, but when Eddie started coughing up blood I knew his mind was made up. With one last rueful glance they took off towards the tree line that headed toward the road._

"_That was quite noble of you my dear. Foolish, but noble." Robert taunted as he sauntered a little closer to me._

"_What the hell does your demented brother want with me?" I demanded, shooting off a rogue fireball in his direction. He neatly dodged it, but I could tell I'd caught him by surprise._

"_Well he covets your beauty for one thing…although I don't really see the appeal." He mused, looking me over like a disgusting piece of meat. _

"_And then there's the little matter of him needing a Strigoi Queen. Did you know my brother discovered a way for Strigoi to breed? It's fascinating really. The power and strength a crossbreed can possess. And with your good looks, skilled abilities and Royal blood, you make an excellent candidate for breeding. You know what they say…Every good king needs an heir."_

_Was this guy for real? Gross. _

"_You people are sick." I muttered, trying to shake the disgusting thoughts away from my head. _

"_Perhaps so…" I heard someone speak up from behind me. "But very soon my dear, you too will be one of us." I spun around to meet the cold dead eyes of Victor Dashkov just before I felt his fangs sink into my skin._

* * *

><p>"Roza…Roza wake up." I heard a voice call out. I could also hear screaming which was weird until I realized it was coming from me.<p>

"Dimitri?" I croaked, trying to come to terms with reality. It took me a couple minutes to realize I was no longer in the garden of that wretched estate, but tucked away safely in a bed in the guest quarters of court.

"Yes Milaya, I'm right here. You're okay now, you're safe."

I could feel the sweat running down my neck and I laid a weary head against Dimitri's shoulder, using his warm musky scent to keep my grounded.

We'd only been at court two days and already I was itching to get back to my own dorm room and the familiar surroundings of Lehigh. Something about being at court was making the nightmares reappear with a vengeance. I think it had something to do with the stress I was under and the added pressure of seeing Adrian and the Queen tomorrow night. I'd been trying my best to avoid them since I landed, but tomorrow was Christmas Eve and we'd be expected to dine in the Royal hall with everyone else.

Lissa had managed to snag Ivan an invite, and it was the only reason Dimitri was allowed to be here now. He wasn't my sanctioned guardian, Sophia was, and given what my father knew about my feelings I'm sure he'd have never agreed to let him come otherwise.

Of course just because he was here, didn't mean we'd flaunt our relationship in front of everyone. I wasn't ashamed of Dimitri or what we shared, but with everything else hanging over our heads, the last thing we needed was the Queen's wrath.

The next evening came quicker than I had hoped but Lissa and Sophia had done a great job of keeping me distracted. By the time dinner rolled around, they had plied me with a few glasses of champagne and I was actually feeling pretty good.

"You look beautiful Roza." Dimitri whispered in my ear when he, Ivan and Christian came to escort us to dinner. Once we got there he'd be forced to hang out in the background on duty, but just knowing he was in the same room as me filled me with ease.

"Thanks Comrade, you're looking pretty handsome yourself." I winked, giggling a little more than usual thanks to the champagne. Dimitri smiled but there was an underlay of disapproval at my slightly drunken state. When we neared the doors to the dining hall he leaned in for a quick kiss before resuming an acceptable positon behind us.

I already missed the warmth of his hand in mine.

Damn, this was going to be a long dinner.

* * *

><p><strong>Dimitri's Point of View<strong>

I watched from the sidelines as the beautiful woman I love worked the room. Like a moth to a flame, people were drawn to her and I watched as she effortlessly won them all over. It's too bad she didn't have an interest in Moroi politics'; she'd be great at it.

"She's stunning isn't she?" Someone behind me asked.

My hands clenched into a fist at my side as I recognized the grating sound of Adrian Ivashkov's voice.

"Lord Ivashkov." I answered him formally, not turning to meet his gaze. I knew what I'd find there; that smug confident smile of his.

"Long time no see Cradle Robber. I'd heard you weaseled your way back into my Little Fireball's life. It's too bad really;But no worries, I'm still looking forward to spending some quality time with her."

He didn't give me a chance to respond before he sauntered over to where Rose was standing and placed a gentle hand on the small of her back. I watched as she jumped in surprise before her eyes shot daggers at him and she jerked out of his embrace. Not two seconds later her eyes searching the room for me. She gave me a sympathetic smile and I smiled slightly in return.

I hated this. I hated the way society treated us, and the fact that I had to lurk about in the background while guys like Adrian Ivashkov put their filthy hands all over her. Rose and I were together, we loved each other, but in our world, that didn't matter. Instead I was reduced to watch wistfully in the shadows.

As I watched Rose laugh lightly at something Ivan said, I couldn't help but think about her previous comment about the cabin a few weeks ago. That cabin was our escape, the one place in this world where we could just be ourselves, and being so isolated from her now, I wanted nothing more than to be back there.

"This sucks doesn't it?" Sophia piped up, startling me.

_I really needed to focus more on my surroundings_.

"I'm sorry what?" I asked. I hadn't really caught what she'd said.

"Watching them from the shadows, it sucks huh?"

_Sucks doesn't even begin to cover it._

"Is this your subtle way of admitting you've been sneaking around with Ivan?" I asked with an amused smile. We'd all known about it for weeks despite their numerous protests otherwise.

"Whatever, it's not like you didn't already know." She scoffed rolling her eyes.

"True, but for whatever its worth, I think you two are really good for each other." I told her and she gave me a grateful smile.

I had meant what I said, Sophia was good for him. Ever since they'd gotten together, he was drinking less, and focused more. He'd even been talking about starting up his own business when school was out. Granted that business was a night club, but with a little focus and his charismatic personality, I had no doubt he'd be a success.

"Yeah well, he's pretty sweet when he's not half in the bottle." She admitted, a small blush creeping across her face.

As terrible as it sounds I was glad to have Sophia to talk to. At least I wasn't the only fool who'd had the misfortune of falling in love with a Royal Moroi. I was just about to thank her for lifting my spirits, but something, or should I say someone stopped me. I watched in horror as the last person I wanted to see right now walked through the ballroom doors.

Tasha Ozera.


	11. Chapter 11

**Rose's Point of View**

Damn.

Isn't it bad enough that I'm stuck spending my holiday with Adrian "grab ass" Ivashkov, now I have to suffer through watching Tasha throw herself at Dimitri all night!

_Wow, she didn't waste any time walking over to him._

"Just breathe Rose." Lissa encouraged next to me.

I knew I shouldn't be surprise to see her. Christian was here and he's the only family that she's got.

"A little warning would have been nice." I growled, shooting an irritated glance at Christian.

"Ahh there's my little girl." Abe bellowed, making a flashy entrance into the room. He was dressed in a ridiculous red suit, with a green tie and matching red hat.

_Great, the circus has arrived._

"Old Man" I answered curtly, too annoyed to bother with pleasantries.

"Someone's in a mood." He observed, raising a curious eyebrow. "Could it be because Lady Ozera is over there getting chummy with your Dhamphir friend?"

A low growl escaped my lips and he laughed heartily at the sound.

"Oh Rosemarie, please do try and enjoy yourself. Its Christmas Eve darling, I would very much like to see my only daughter happy."

Despite his irritating behavior I could tell he meant it, and his sincere words sparked a wonderful idea.

"Do you mean that Daddy?" I asked, unleashing the full effect of my puppy dog eyes. His own eyes narrowed slightly when he noticed I was suddenly singing a different tune.

"Whatever will make you happy Flower, just name it and it's yours."

_Check mate old man._

"Good! Then I'd like you to invite Dimitri to join us for dinner." I requested.

I had expected him to look angry or annoyed at my request, but instead he just looked amused.

"Well it's about time." He chuckled, shaking his head.

_What the hell does that mean?_

He must have caught on to my obvious confusion because he felt the need to clarify.

"How do ever expect society to accept you two if you don't start including him in these things? This isn't the academy anymore Rosemarie, no need for all the secrecy."

_Did he really just say that?_

"Wait, you're okay with this? I thought…well at the restaurant you said…"

"I was wrong." He cut me off, holding up a hand so he could continue. "You were right Rose, you deserve to live and love the way you choose. I got lucky when I found your mother, but just because you fell in love with a Dhamphir, doesn't mean you shouldn't get to be happy. Besides, Belikov is a good man, I can see that. Don't think I'm not aware of how well he's looked after you these last few weeks. You could do worse than to love a man such as him." He told me, before shooting a glance in Adrian's direction. I narrowed my eyes trying to decipher his intentions.

"Is this a trick?" I asked when I could find no trace of deception. He let out a boisterous chuckle that attracted attention from all over the room.

"No tricks Flower. It's like I told you before, I just want to see my only child happy." He leaned forward and pressed a light kiss to my cheek before heading Dimitri's way.

"Merry Christmas Flower." He told me winking as he walked across the room.

* * *

><p><strong>Dimitri's Point of View<strong>

"Merry Christmas Dimka" Tasha purred once she'd made her way over to me.

I was doing my best to avoid eye contact with her and look distracted. God forbid Rose should look this way and think I'm flirting with her.

"Merry Christmas Lady Ozera." I told her formally, hoping she'd get the idea. Unfortunately for me she didn't.

"Don't be silly Dimka, you haven't called me by my title in years!" she giggled, slapping my arm playfully.

"Guardian Belikov." Abe Mazur called out heading my way.

_Oh Shit._

"Good evening Prince Mazur, what can I do for you?" I asked, trying to completely ignore Tasha's presence. She was scowling at Abe for the interruption.

"It's funny you should ask that." He smirked looking between me and Tasha. "I was hoping you would join me for dinner; I know it would please Rosemarie greatly."

_Was he serious?_

I had no idea what was going on here, but one look at Rose's beautiful beaming smile and I couldn't refuse. She looked happier than I'd seen her in days, and I wasn't about to pass up the chance to be closer to her.

"Thank you Prince Mazur, I'd love too."

"Great." He smiled broadly, slapping me on the back. "Oh and Belikov, you can call me Abe." He winked, leading me away from Tasha.

When I arrived at Rose's side, I was more than surprised when reached out and took my hand. I shot her a questioning look, glancing around the room warily in case someone saw, but Rose just laughed.

"Relax Comrade, the jig is up." She told me, pressing a chaste kiss to my lips.

"What's going on?" I whispered, wondering if this had something to do with the copious amounts of champagne Sophia and Lissa had plied her with earlier.

"It's simple really. I love you, and I'm done hiding it. I talked to my dad and he's okay with this." She told me, her smile brighter than any of the Christmas trees in this ballroom. I wanted to believe her, but given everything I knew about society I was feeling skeptic.

"Is this some sort of trick?" I asked, my eyes narrowing slightly at the cruel thought. But Rose's infectious laughter immediately lightened my mood.

"I said the same thing, but no. My dad just wants me to be happy, and you Comrade are what makes me happy." She stood up on her tip toes to wrap her arms around my neck, and pressed her lips firmly against mine. I was vaguely aware that now was hardly the time or place for this, but I had missed holding her in my arms and I happily gave her what she wanted.

"Ahhemm." A deep voice cleared their throat.

_Damn Ivashkov._

Rose and I pulled apart reluctantly and she gave him an overly annoyed look.

"Sorry to interrupt" he told us, although he looked anything but sorry. "But dinner is served."

He lingered a moment longer before walking away with a knowing smile.

"Are you ready for this Comrade?" Rose asked as she linked our hands back together. "You're about to face the wolves head on." She smirked.

I had no idea what to expect from this end of a royal dinner, but with Rose's hand tucked securely in mine, I was confident we could handle it.

* * *

><p><strong>Rose's Point of View<strong>

"Unbelievable!" I screeched, slamming the door behind me.

"Roza, calm down." Dimitri pleaded, taking me gently into his arms. The moment I was enveloped in his warm embrace I felt slightly better.

Dinner had been a disaster, and that was putting it mildly.

_***Flashback***_

"_Rosemarie, what is this meaning of this?" Queen Tatianna asked, gesturing rudely in Dimitri's direction. We had just sat down next to one another at the table and in a show of solidarity I had taken his hand in mine._

"_Auntie, this is Dimitri Belikov, Rose's boyfriend." Adrian smirked wickedly from his seat next to her at the table._

"_Boyfriend?" she screeched. "But he's a Dhamphir!"_

"_He is?" Adrian asked, feigning outrage. _

_It was actually hilarious to watch him goad her this way, and he was the only person she'd ever let get away with speaking to her like this. _

"_Rosemarie, this is absurd." She told me with me a stern glare. As a child I had always hated when she looked at me like that, and apparently some things hadn't changed. _

"_With all due respect your majesty, I don't agree." I told her politely. I'd long since learned my typical brash and bossy attitude would get me nowhere with Tatianna. She required a more delicate touch._

"_Rose…" she chastised shaking her head. "You are of Royal blood, in a noble family with an impeccable reputation, don't be so foolish. You have no future with this Dhamphir!" she cried waving her hands in Dimitri's direction. I felt Dimitri's hand tighten around mine and my self-control snapped._

"_Stop talking about him like he's not sitting right here!" I yelled, standing up from the table. I could feel Dimitri trying to pull me back towards my seat, but I jerked my hand away and slammed it down on the table. _

"_Dimitri isn't just a Dhamphir; he's a person, and an incredible one at that! We love each other, and we look out for one another which is more than I can say about most of the greedy power hungry couples here at court. Maybe the other mindless drones around here are okay with a marriage of convenience, but I'm not. Dimitri and I are a team and I'm not about to sit here, even in front of the Queen and let anyone make him feel otherwise. He is my equal in every way and for the record he's not going anywhere, so anyone who has a problem with that can either accept it or go to hell!"_

_The entire room had fallen silent at my outburst and the longer it dragged on the more uncomfortable I felt. The Queen just stared at me shell shocked, while my father wore an amused smile. Ivan and Christian were smirking at my serious lack of decorum, and Lissa and Dimitri just looked mortified. The only person whose expression I couldn't read was Adrian's. _

_After an incredibly long silence, I sank back down into my chair. Dimitri's hand immediately reclaimed mine in a supportive gesture and I smiled at the warmth that flooded through me. _

_***End Flashback***_

"It wasn't as bad as you think Milaya…"

_Oh that's a load of crap._

"Please Comrade, I basically ripped the Queen a new one in front of the entire court. She's going to kill the both of us just for sport!"

He let out a soft chuckle as he hand brushed gently against my cheek.

"Not if your father has anything to say about it." He reminded me, and I recalled Abe's encouraging words when we left the dining hall tonight.

I let Dimitri lead me over to the bed, and when he laid down I slipped out of my dress and slid in beside him. For once I wasn't even going to try to seduce him; I just needed to feel his safe embrace.

"Dimitri, how did my life get so complicated?" I asked, thinking about all the millions of ways the universe seemed to be plotting against me.

"I hate to break it to you Roza, but your life has always been complicated."

I knew my sexy Russian was right, my life had always been a disaster. My mom died as a kid, my dad was MIA, my stand in family died a horrible death, and one of my best friends died saving me from the fate of becoming a Strigoi breeding machine.

"That's not helpful." I sighed, slapping his chest playfully. He let out another laugh before grabbing my arms and pulling me into his lap.

"Maybe not, but if it helps, I think your little speech tonight was incredibly sexy…" Something in his tone peaked my curiosity and when I met his gaze I saw his eyes were clouded over with lust. He was looking at my scantily clad body like a starving man stares at a piece of steak.

"Comrade…I thought you wanted to wait?" I didn't know why I was reminding him, this was exactly what I have been begging him about for weeks. "You said you wanted it to be special" I mocked, saying the last words in a poor Russian accent. He laughed lightly before the intensity returned.

"Roza Milaya, you stood up tonight in front of the most important people in our world and declared your love for me. What could be more special than that?"

I was about to try and answer but he never gave me the chance. Instead I let him pull my underneath him and got lost in an oblivion of passion. When it was over I curled my naked body into his and sighed.

"That was definitely worth waiting for." I murmured, pressing a kiss against his soft bare chest. He chuckled in response. "I love you Comrade."

"I love you too Milaya."


	12. Chapter 12

**Dimitri's Point of View**

Unlike Rose, I'd never had a problem waking up in the morning, but as my phone buzzed incessantly against the bedside table I found myself wanting to chuck it against the bedroom wall. Who the hell could be calling me at this hour?

Reluctantly I untangled myself from Rose's body, careful not to wake her up. She was lying on her stomach, her back bare as the sheet only covered her lower half. Her beautiful brown hair was sprawled out all over the pillow and I mentally cursed the asshole that pulled me from my bed. Of course the second I glanced at my phone I took it back.

**Meet me in the hallway. Don't wake Rose- Abe**

I quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before slipping out into the hall. Even at 4am he was dressed in a flashy suit. I was just about to inquire about all the secrecy when he spoke.

"We have a problem." He told me, handing me a familiar piece of stationary. I recognized it from the last note Victor wrote Rose. I didn't need to unfold the paper to know it was from him.

_My Dearest Rosemarie,_

_I was unhappy to hear about your little declaration of love at dinner. I'd hate to think you let that filthy Dhamphir taint you. If you value his life, you'll heed my warning and end this foolish charade. You belong to me, and it's about time you remember it. _

_Merry Christmas Rosemarie._

_All my love_

_Victor._

"Where did you get this?" I asked through clenched teeth.

"Pavel intercepted it outside of Rose's room." Abe told me. "The messenger boy knew nothing of its contents; we interrogated him thoroughly." I knew enough about Abe to understand what that meant.

"Well that's helpful, but we have bigger problems…" I told him. "Like the fact that Victor has a spy here at court."

"I'm aware." He stated coldly. At first I thought he was angry with me but when he started pacing back in forth in the hallway I could tell his irritation was directed elsewhere.

"He's getting bolder Belikov, daring to reach Rose here at court. If she's not safe from him here in the most guarded place in the world, then is she safe anywhere?" He growled.

I didn't want to think about the truth in his words.

"We've managed to keep her fairly safe at Lehigh, perhaps we should forgo the rest of the holiday and head back there in the morning." I suggested.

"No, that won't work either. They know that she's there; it's only a matter of time before they try to get to her. No…we need to send her somewhere remote, somewhere no one will think to look for her." He mused, stroking his long black beard deep in thought.

"Sir with all due respect, I'm not comfortable with the idea of sending Rose anywhere without me. I'm sure your guardians are some of the best, but no one can look after her with the same dedication as I can."

Abe stopped his pacing to study me before smirking.

"You're right Belikov, which is why it is you that will be going with her, and I know exactly where I want to send you…"

* * *

><p>"Siberia Comrade? Please tell me that you're joking!"<p>

Rose was taking the news about as well as expected.

"Roza be reasonable, we need to keep you safe, and somewhere no one will think to look for you. My family home in a Dhamphir Commune is the perfect hiding place."

"Why do I have to hide at all?" she shouted. "I'm a bad ass fire using Moroi who was trained by yours truly to kick some serious ass. I thought that was the whole point of all this. So I wouldn't have to worry about running and hiding. I like my school, and my friends, and my life back at Lehigh. I don't want to run!"

"Did you just say you like school?" I teased trying to distract her.

"Don't try to be cute." She glared.

"Roza please…try to think on the bright side of things."

"Which is what exactly?" she challenged adorably, trying and failing to raise one eyebrow like I can.

"We'll be alone there, away from the prying eyes of a judgmental Moroi society." I winked, and I had the pleasure of watching Rose's beautiful face brighten.

"Okay, I'll admit it…that doesn't sound completely terrible…" she mused, closing the distance between us and wrapping her arms tightly around my neck. I mimicked the gesture, grabbing her hips and lowering my head for a passionate kiss. When she finally pulled back to take a breath she rest her forehead against mine.

"Okay I'll go on one condition…"She warned me, but with the way she was looking at me, I'd have probably agreed to anything.

"Anything" I whispered huskily, still a little breathless.

"Sophia and Lissa are coming with us."

* * *

><p><strong>Rose's Point of View<strong>

_When I came to, I was back in that dreadful estate, but instead of the cold wet basement, I was chained to a giant four poster bed. _

"_Oh good, you're awake." Victor spoke from somewhere close by. I tried to turn my head to search for him, but the action pulled at the gaping hole in my neck and I gasped in pain. _

"_Ah yes, I am sorry about that, but I had to weaken you my pet; we couldn't have you getting away again."_

"_Let me go you sick son of a bitch!" _

_I was furious about being back here, and they'd clearly learned their lesson since I was chained up with metal this time instead of plastic. My only solace came from the fact that I knew Mason, Christian and Eddie were safe, and with any luck, calling for backup right now. _

_I knew what these sick bastards wanted with me, and I just needed to hang on long enough for help to arrive._

"_Tsk Tsk Rosemarie. We're going to have to work on that temper of yours. But in the meantime I think you've earned a little time out to think about what you've done."_

_I wanted to scream and yell and curse that monster all to hell, but with a forceful shove, my mouth was smothered with an awful smelling material. He gave me one last sinister smile and flipped out the lights before leaving the room. _

_The room itself was pitch black, all the windows were covered, blocking out even the slightest bit of moonlight. I tried to relax against the pillow, grateful for the time alone and the chance to try and figure a way out of this mess. Burning off my cuffs were out of the question this time, not to mention the fact that Victor draining my blood had left me weak. But as I sat there trying to devise an escape plan, something else occurred to me. _

_Why hadn't they packed up and hauled ass yet? I barely had a chance to ponder that in detail before I heard a rustling noise when the door cracked open. My eyes shot towards the sound to find a mop of curly red hair._

_Mason._

_He was by my side in no time, pulling the rag from my mouth and picking the locks on my cuffs._

"_Mason, you idiot!" I hissed. He was supposed to be safe right now._

"_Don't look so surprised Mazur; did you honestly think I'd actually leave you?" I wanted to smack the dumbass, but I was too relieved to do anything but throw my arms around his neck._

"_Thank you Mase." I whispered, trying to ignore how weak I felt. _

"_Yeah well, it's my fault we got into this mess in the first place." He said shamefully. "Rose, I'm so sorry. None of this would have happened if I'd just let you explain. But I heard you and Belikov arguing and I just got so mad…"_

"_Don't apologize Mase; I'm the one who's sorry. I shouldn't have led you on the way I did, not when I feel the way I do about Dimitri." His face saddened at my omission, making me feel like an even worse human being. He gently helped me off the bed when I stumbled slightly._

"_Rose, your neck!" He nearly shouted and I had to clamp my hand over his mouth to muffle him. _

"_I'm fine Mase, really. But we need to go." I tried to make a move towards the door but I was too unsteady to make any progress._

"_You're not fine, you need blood." He told me sternly. "Here." He said, tilting his neck to the side._

"_Mason don't be stupid. If I drink from you that's only going to weaken us both. I can't take enough from you to get back what Victor took, and at least one of us deserves a fighting chance. I'll be damned if I'm going to take that away from you." _

_But Mason just rolled his eyes._

"_Would you just shut up and drink already? Quit trying to be so damn noble. We're both getting out of here Rose and we're doing it together."_

_I wanted to argue, but one look at his fac told me it was pointless. I was a Moroi and he was a Dhamphir. I knew he'd never put his own needs above my own, no matter how ridiculous it was not to. So with a defeated sigh I drank, hoping and praying that he was right._

* * *

><p>"Roza, wake up." Dimitri nudged.<p>

"No." I grumbled, trying to shove my head back under the blankets. He chuckled lightly at my antics before pulling the covers back.

"Come on Milaya" He murmured, placing soft open mouthed kisses down my neck and shoulders. I squirmed slightly at his touch, trying to ignore the feelings he was stirring inside of me.

"If you really want me to be on time, you should stop doing that." I warned, cursing him and my dad to hell for coming up with his stupid idea in the first place. Hiding out in Siberia even sounded ridiculous, not to mention boring as hell. What was I even supposed to do for fun, build an igloo?

"Actually I woke you up a little earlier to make time for this…" Dimitri whispered as he slid the strap of my nightgown off my shoulder. I soft shudder rippled through my body.

Damn the things this man does to me.

2 hours later we were standing on the tarmac, bags in hand as the cold winter wind ripped furiously around us. I snuggled closer into Dimitri's side for warmth.

"Isn't this exciting?" Lissa squealed while Christian dragged their bags slowly behind him. I could feel through the bond Lissa meant it. Unlike me, she was thrilled about the idea of a new adventure, and much to my displeasure had been easy to persuade to defer from school this semester. I had been counting on her to play the heavy there, hoping that her insistence would help me convince Dimitri and my dad what we needed to stay.

But nope, she had caved. And now, here we were.

"I don't know what you're so excited about Liss; its Siberia for crying out loud. We are basically being banished to an arctic wasteland." I grumbled feeling Dimitri's chest rumble underneath my head.

"I think you're going to be surprised when you see just how normal a town Baia really is." He told me.

I just snorted in response.

"Okay, the party has arrived." Ivan bellowed, walking over to where we were standing. "Let's get this show on the road!"

Dimitri had made good on his promise and as such, the whole gang was coming with us. Abe had insisted on numerous occasions that this was foolish. The less people who knew about my whereabouts the better. But if I was going to have to suffer though Russian isolation, the least they could do was let me bring my friends along for entertainment.

With one last wistful look at the Pennsylvania landscape, I trudged up the plane's steps.

_Arctic__ Wasteland…here we come._


	13. Chapter 13

**Dimitri's Point of View**

"Ok Comrade, quiz me."

Rose had spent the last few hours of this flight trying to learn as much about my family as possible. She knew some things from our time together at St. Vlad's, but apparently that wasn't enough for her. She wanted to know every detail, and I could tell it was important to her that they approve.

"Roza, just relax Milaya. They are going to love you."

"How can you be so sure?" She challenged; her face full of doubt.

I reached over and cupped her face in both palms before pressing a reassuring kiss against her lips.

"Because I love you." I told her before silencing her again with a kiss.

Despite Rose's apprehension about meeting my family, I wasn't the least bit concerend. I'd spoken to my mother about Rose enough times to know she approved. In fact on more than one occasion she'd bit my head off for being dumb enough to let her go the first time.

As for my sisters, they all just wanted to see my happy.

For the rest of the flight, I did my best to keep Rose occupied, even going so far as to watch a ridiculous rom com her and Lissa had been gushing about.

It was every bit as awful as I imagined it would be.

But when the plane landed, I noticed all my previous efforts to calm her had gone to waste, as her hand immediately went rigid again in mine. I took our linked hands and brought them up to my mouth for a kiss.

"Just breathe Milaya."

When we stepped off the plane, the car Abe had hired was waiting for us. It was a two hour drive from the airport to my small hometown and once the luggage was safely stowed away we settled in.

"So you have 3 sisters?" Lissa asked me.

Like Rose, she seemed to feel being prepared was the best approach in this situation. I wished they understood how different a Dhamphir commune was from the rest of the Moroi world. People in my community were more accepting and there was an understanding and respect you wouldn't find anywhere else.

"Yes. Karolina is the oldest, than Sonya, and the youngest is Victoria. She's a few years younger than the 3 of you." I told her, referring to her, Rose and Sophia. Victoria had been thrilled to learn they would be staying with us and had made me promise we'd come visit her at St. Basils the moment we were all settled in.

"Wow, 3 sisters, a mother and a grandmother…how did you survive all those women?" Christian mused, shaking his head at such a terrifying thought. Some days even I wasn't sure how I'd done it.

"Luck." I told him grimly as all the girls in the vehicle laughed.

I was glad to see Christian was finally warming up to me again. After everything that had happened with Rose two years ago, he'd been less than accepting when I showed back up in her life. I knew how protective he felt over her, especially after the Spokane incident. And the fact that she was bonded to his girlfriend only strengthed that feeling.

"I just can't wait to get a taste of Olena's home cooking." Ivan piped up with an excited gleam in his eye. And he certainly wasn't the only one. No one could cook quite like my Mama.

The rest of the car ride passed with quiet chatter but the closer we got to Baia, the more anxious Rose became. Why couldn't that stubborn woman just believe me when I told her that her fears were for nothing?

"Roza, please relax. Everything is going to be fine. My Mama already loves you just for making me so happy. And the moment my sisters see us together they are going to feel the same way. I promise."

She looked at me with small tears in her eyes.

"What if they don't?" She whispered almost two low for me to hear.

"Well then I'll just have to go all Rose Mazur at the dinner table and make them." I nudged her lightly, laughing as she rolled her eyes remembering her own outburst at Christmas dinner.

"Ha Ha Comrade." She slapped my arm playfully.

20 minutes later, the car pulled up outside my childhood home.

"Are you ready?" I asked, taking her small hand in mine. I gave her a gentle squeeze of encouragement as I led her up to the door.

"Ready as I'll ever me." She mumbled, letting me drag her inside.

* * *

><p><strong>Rose's Point of View<strong>

Okay, not that I'd ever admit this to him, But Dimitri was right.

Looking around the dinner table at all my loved ones chatting away, I couldn't for the life of me understand what I'd been so afraid of. Dimitri's family was incredible.

I supposed I shouldn't be surprised, given the way he turned out.

"Roza! Roza!" Dimitri's 8 year old nephew Paul shouted, trying to get my attention. He was the cutest little boy I had ever seen, an almost exact replica of a mini Dimitri. All I could think about when I first saw him was I wonder if that's what our own son will look like one day.

"Inside voice Paul!" His mother Karolina chastised, shaking her head. "I'm sorry Rose, he's not usually this worked up."

I waved a hand dismissively to show her it didn't bother me.

"Yes Paul?" I asked, leaning closer to the little boy who'd insisted on sitting next to me.

"Is Uncle Dimka your boyfriend?" he asked, his face as serious as stone. A round of giggles broke out from the adults at the table and Paul glared at the interruption.

"Why yes he is." I told him, trying to feign an equally serious face. I caught Dimitri smirking out of the corner of my eye. His lips were twitching like he was holding back a laugh.

"Dang." Paul sighed defeated, causing the adults to start laughing once more.

The rest of dinner went off without a hitch, and when the last of the food was gone, I eagerly helped Olena clear the dishes in the kitchen.

"Thank you for letting us stay here Mrs. Belikova." I told her earnestly. The house was larger than I'd expected and somehow had more than enough room to accommodate our large crowd.

"Oh please dear, call me Olena. And I'm the one that should be thanking you. Seeing Dimka so happy, well it means more to me than you could ever know."

"He's a wonderful man." I told her blushing.

"Who's wonderful?" Dimitri asked smirking from the doorway.

"Dimka, it's not polite to lurk." His mother told him fondly when he came to stand beside us to dry the dishes.

"Actually Mama, that's a guardian's sole purpose. We lurk. We're lurkers." He grinned broadly at his own silly joke. I slapped his arm with a dish towel, but he caught it pulling me closer to him to wipe dish bubbles on my nose.

"Stop it!" I shrieked trying to wiggle out of his grip. When that didn't work I scooped up my own handful of bubbles and smeared them into his face. He started coughing as the soapy water got into his mouth and beside me Olena started laughing loudly. When he finally had his mouth clear, he grinned wickedly at me and lunged.

"What are you doing to my Roza?" Paul growled at Dimitri coming into the kitchen to investigate the commotion.

"Paul, help!" I cried, deciding having a minion might turn the tide in my favor. With no further encouragement necessary he quickly began pounding his tiny fists against Dimitri's back so he'd release me.

20 minutes later we were a soapy bubbly mess.

"Thank was fun Uncle Dimka." Paul laughed as he shook his little mop of brown hair. I was busy trying to tie my sopping wet hair back in an effort not to look like a drowned rat. Dimitri was equally soaked which made me feel slightly better; at least until I realized what a mess we'd made in the kitchen.

"Your mother is going to kill us." I told him, looking around at the disaster zone.

"Nah, she'll just make me clean it up." He told me, wrapping his dripping wet arms around my neck. He leaned closer like he was going to go in for a kiss, but just before he reached my face he shook out his wet hair like a dog, and the water sprayed everywhere.

"Dimitri!" I yelled, trying to shield my face from the onslaught of water droplets. "You are so going to pay for that later!"

He laughed loudly, clearly unaffected by my threat before he pulled me in for a passionate kiss. Things were just heating up when Paul re-entered the room for a couple of towels in hand.

"Eww!" He cried, dropping the towels to shield his eyes.

"I think that's your cue to go get cleaned up." Dimitri murmured against my lips. "I'll deal with all of this." He said gesturing to the giant mess we'd made of the kitchen.

I gratefully took a towel from Paul and was about to leave the room when Dimitri pulled me back to him by the arm and wrapped me up in another heated kiss. By the time he pulled away I was breathless.

"Don't shower without me." He winked before slapping my ass and sending me on my way.

_I swear that Russian will be the death of me. _


	14. Chapter 14

**Rose's Point of View**

"_Get back here you little bitch!"_

_I could hear Robert gaining on us, which was pretty pathetic given that he was an old man. I told Mason that giving me his blood was a stupid idea._

"_Just keep going Rose, we're almost there. Christian called for help and Dimitri and the other should be here any minute."_

_We were sprinting across the sprawling lawn of the estate leading up to the main road. But one quick glance backwards told me we probably wouldn't make it. He was gaining on us, and in our weakened state, we'd be defenseless._

_I was so distracted by glancing backwards that I didn't see the tree root in front of me and my body went hurling forward towards the ground. I cringed in pain when the rough surface tore at my exposed skin. _

"_Rose!" Mason shouted, turning around to come back for me._

"_Keep going!" I shouted back, trying to pull myself up off the ground. My ankle immediately protested in response._

"_No, I won't leave you!" He told me once he was by my side helping me up. I was too weak to support myself and had to lean heavily on him to remain upright. The pain in my ankle was crippling and I whimpered whenever I put any weight on it._

"_It's ok, you're okay." Mason told me over and over as we hobbled towards the main road. _

_I could see it now, the sleek black pavement, the dark forest the lined it on either side. The sun should be coming up any minute; it was the reason Robert was the only Strigoi crazy enough to risk it to catch us. Freedom was a mere sunrise away; I could almost taste it._

_Of course fate is a cruel mistress and the second we reached the blacktop Robert yanked me backwards and harshly towards the ground. _

"_Did you honestly think you could escape me?" he hissed, yanking me back across the lawn by my hair. It was agonizing and I screamed out in pain. "Shut your mouth bitch." He screamed, stopping to silence me with a hard slap across the cheek. I could tell he'd broken the cheekbone. _

"_Let her go!" Mason shouted, stupidly lunging at Robert without any weapon._

_What was he thinking?!_

_I watched in horror as he flung Mason off of his back effortlessly before scooping him back off the ground by the throat and easily snapping his neck. I heard the sickening crack and cried out in pain._

"_No!" I sobbed as I watched Mason's lifeless body fall to the ground. His bright blue eyes were still wide with shock and for half a second, all I could do was stare at my dead best friend. _

"_Fool." Robert muttered before he went back to yanking me by the hair._

_Just hearing the sound of his voice was enough to break me out of my trance. I heard the sick sound of Roberts voice and all my previous hatred for the Strigoi came barreling back into my body with a vengeance. I remembered the way he had tortured Eddie, drinking him nearly dry and within an inch of his life. I remembered the way he had smacked us all around, and the blistering pain I felt while I'd been forced to burn the plastic cuffs off my wrist. I remembered the disturbing pleasure with which he told me I'd be forced to become some sort of Strigoi breeding machine. But mostly I remembered the way I felt my heart break the moment I heard Mason's neck snap. _

_I could hear the sound of a car coming up the road in the distance, and with all the energy I could muster, I jerked myself out of Roberts startled grip and launched the fire in my hands directly at him. It struck with such a force that his whole body was immediately engulfed in flames. It took less than 10 seconds before he was nothing more than a charred pile of ash. I watched him burn just as I'd wanted to from the moment I'd met him, but even hearing his painful screams didn't appease me. My friend was dead, and no amount of torture would ever bring him back. _

_When it was over, I let my body collapse to the ground and crawled over to where Mason's body was laying. _

"_I'm so sorry Mase." I whispered, resting my head against his silent chest. The lack of a heartbeat only further drove home when I already knew. _

_Mason was gone._

* * *

><p>"Roza….wake up Milaya."<p>

"He's gone." I whimpered, shaking my head from side to side. I was vaguely aware that tears were streaming down my face.

"Roza please!" Dimitri pleaded and I could hear a frantic edge to his voice.

When I opened my eyes, his beautiful chocolate brown ones were staring back at me with concern, and apparently he wasn't the only one. Olena was standing behind her son, a similar look of concern on her face. I blinked a few times trying to come to terms with reality.

"Is she alright?" Olena asked Dimitri since clearly I was too stupefied to answer.

"She's okay Mama, it's just a nightmare. But maybe you could get her a glass of water." He suggested. She nodded and quickly took off down the stairs, eager to do something to help.

Dimitri was next to me in the bed, and he pulled me onto his lap and cradled me against his body.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, brushing back the sweaty wet pieces of hair that were covering my face. A small voice in the back of my head told me I should tell Dimitri about it, but the dream was too fresh and I wasn't ready.

"Not yet." I whispered, laying my head in the crook of his neck.

Olena returned shortly after with a glass of water that I gratefully drank down in an instant. She didn't stick around to probe for information and I appreciated that. Judging by Dimitri's calm demeanor I think she understood this was something of a routine for us and she quietly left me in Dimitri's capable hands.

* * *

><p><strong>Dimitri's Point of View<strong>

For the longest time, I just held Roza in my arm, silently cursing any God who could cause such a wonderful person so much suffering.

I knew she was having nightmares about Mason, thanks to the fact that she sometimes spoke in her sleep. It was also the reason why I knew that tonight's nightmare was different. For weeks they had been about the event's leading up to Mason's death, but as she cried out in her sleep tonight, I knew she was remembering the moment he actually died.

"Do you remember that night?" she asked quietly. I was so certain she'd fallen back asleep that the sound of her voice startled me.

"How could I forget? I don't think I've ever been so devastated and relieved at the same time."

She turned to look at me curiously, and I wiped away the silent tear that was leaking down her beautiful cheek.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Roza, I spent the better part of two days thinking the woman I loved was dead, so imagine my relief when I saw you alive on that lawn." She seemed to consider that for a moment before nodding.

"Okay I get that. But why were you devastated?"

"It was the look on your face." I told her, recalling the way she looked that dawn.

* * *

><p><em>*Flashback*<em>

"_Turn here!" Christian shouted from the front seat beside me. _

_After receiving that call from a nearby payphone, the guardians hadn't wasted anytime in getting back to Mason and Rose. Eddie was back at the hotel we'd made our headquarters being treated by a physician for the blood loss. _

_We had known for a fact that the Strigoi nest was in Spokane, but finding it had been like finding a needle in a haystack. At least it was until Christian showed up. Taking a sharp turn, we swerved onto the road that housed the estate and went barreling towards the driveway. _

"_It's right up here!" he shouted, pulling open the door and jumping out before I even had the car stopped. I was only a couple heartbeats behind him. _

_When we reached the edge of the lawn, the sight we found stopped us dead in our tracks._

_Thank God, she was alive!_

_Unfortunately the same couldn't be said for Mason. _

_Even from this distance I could see the unnatural angle in which he was laying, and Rose was sobbing uncontrollably into his lifeless chest. _

"_Roza…" I whispered, trying not to startle her. I could tell she was in a fragile state and I needed to approach her with caution. She looked up at the sound of my voice and what I saw broke my heart._

_Her face was battered and bloody, and her cheekbone was swollen to twice it's normal size. Her neck was trickling blood from an open flesh wound, but it was her eyes that had stopped me where I stood. She was looking up at me, but it was like she wasn't really seeing me. She had the most haunted look in her eyes, and behind the pools of tears in her eyes, I knew she was completely broken. _

"_Roza." I called out tentatively again, crouching down to kneel beside Mason's body._

"_He's gone." She whispered, over and over again. I tried to put a hand on her shoulder to help her up but she shrugged it away. _

_By now the lawn was swarming with guardians, all who were preparing to storm the house and attack the nest of Strigoi. I desperately wanted to get Roza away from this place before she heard the fighting. The last thing she needed was a reminder that the danger wasn't entirely past. _

"_Roza Milaya, we have to go." I told her, trying again to pull her from the ground. _

"_I can't leave him" she shouted. "I can't!" _

_It was the strongest reaction we'd gotten out of her since we arrived and a small part of me was grateful to know she still had a little life left in her._

"_Rose, he's gone." Christian told her, crouching down to close Mason's still open eyes._

_Why hadn't I thought to do that?_

"_Don't you think I know that!" She screeched, lifting her head off of his chest to glare at Christian. But the moment she met his tear filled eyes, her anger dissipated back into unending grief._

"_Oh God!" She cried, letting out a choked sob. "He's gone!"_

_I couldn't take it anymore. I knew what she needed and laying here next to a corpse wasn't it. Without any more discussion I scooped her up off the ground bridal style and started carrying her to the car. _

"_We can't leave him!" she cried, but made no move to climb out of my arms._

"_I know Rose…I've got him." Christian said picking Mason up off the ground. _

_She made no more protests as we got into the car. Instead she sat silently in my arms, crying until her tears ran dry._

_*End Flashback*_

* * *

><p>"I keep thinking I should have done something more…" She whispered, pulling me back to the present.<p>

"Oh Milaya, you did everything you could." I reassured her, stroking her hair. It was a fear that had plagued her ever since that day, despite how many time's we all told her there was nothing more to be done.

"He saved my life, and now Victor's threatening me again, and if something were to happen to me, Mason will have died for nothing." Her voice broke as she said that last part and I pulled her tighter to my chest.

"Nothing is going to happen to you Milaya, I promise. Mason's death will not be in vain."

Whether she believed me or was content to be told what she wanted to hear, I didn't know. But she said no more on the subject and I held her in my arms the rest of the night, listening as her breathing leveled out and lulled her back to sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

**Dimitri's Point of View**

"How's my flower Belikov?"

I was watching from the window as Rose, Paul, Ivan and Christian were running around the backyard engaged in an all-out snowball fight while Lissa and Sophia were busy helping my 5 year old Niece Zoya build a very girly looking snowman, complete with a pearl necklace and pink scarf.

"Rose is well sir. She's setting in just fine."

These phone calls had become something of a daily thing since we'd arrived in Baia and I knew they irritated Rose to no end. I was currently hiding out in the house out of view while I talked to him. I didn't need a repeat of the argument we'd had last night.

_***Flashback***_

"_Since when are you my father's bitch?" She asked angrily stomping around the room before bedtime._

_Rose had overheard the tail end of my phone call with Abe and he was less than thrilled when I mentioned we were taking a trip to St. Basils the day after New Year's. _

"_Nobody is anybody's 'bitch' Rose."_

_I was trying not to scold her for her crass language. The girl had a mouth like a sailor. _

"_Well it sure sounded like it to me!" _

"_That's because you only heard half the conversation!"_

"_Don't you find it odd that the man is MIA for the better half of my life, and now all of a sudden he can't go one day without checking up on me like some sort of creepy stalker? In case it's escaped his notice, I've already got one of those!" she yelled, slamming her hair brush down on the dresser._

_I pinched the bridge of my noise, calling on God to give me the patience not to strangle her. _

"_Which is exactly why he's calling." I tried to reason. "He's worried about you Rose, is it really so terrible that he cares?" But Rose snorted._

"_Yeah well he picked a fine time to start caring. Leave it to him to wait until I'm actually an adult to start acting like a father." She muttered, stalking off to change in the bathroom._

_***End Flashback***_

"Are you still planning on taking that fools trip to St. Basils?" Abe asked, his voice laced with annoyance.

"It will be good for sir. Rose isn't the type to sit around twiddling her thumbs; you know that. She wants to feel like she's doing something useful. By taking her to the academy and letting her work with the students on their defensive magic, she'll feel like she has a purpose and it will help keep her mind off of everything." I tried to reassure him. I wholeheartedly meant it. Rose needed this and I knew she'd be better off there than sitting around her waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Very well Belikov, I trust your judgment. Just know that if something happens to my little girl on your watch, it'll be your head." He told me coldly, before his voice returned to its usual carefree tone.

"Always a pleasure talking to you." He added before hanging up the phone.

I stared at the phone shaking my head before tucking it back safely into my pocket and heading outside to join in the fun.

Later that night I was busy shuffling around the bedroom, trying to repack the suitcases Rose haphazardly threw together.

"OCD much Comrade?" She teased from her lounging position on the bed.

She was wearing a small red nightgown and spread out in a rather provocative position. I knew what she was trying to do, and it was working.

"Roza Milaya, you're distracting me." I told her, trying not to focus on how long her toned legs looked covered in so little fabric.

"That's the idea." She purred sexily, sending me a wink. I let out an involuntary growl when she spread her legs slightly and that's when all my control snapped.

All thoughts of my previous task were abandoned as I quickly climbed on to of the bed to hover over her. She smiled a victorious smile when my lips claimed hers, giving me a scandalous smirk when we broke apart so she could pull my shirt over my head.

I made quick work of removing her nightgown, my eyes taking a moment to roam over her beautiful body before taking her.

An hour later she watched with an amused expression while I continued to repack her suitcase in preparation for tomorrow.

"Are you excited to see Victoria?" she asked, watching as I refolded her bunched up t shirts.

We'd been back in Baia for a week and Victoria was the only sibling I had yet to spend any time with. Normally she would have stayed home during the Christmas holiday, but she'd gotten into a bit of trouble last year and had been forced to stay behind and catch up over the holiday break.

"Very excited, but not as excited as I am for you to meet her."

Rose let out an infectious bubbly laugh.

"Yes well based on all the stories your family has told me about her, I just know were going to get along famously."

Little did we know just how similar they really are...

* * *

><p><strong>Rose's Point of View<strong>

I couldn't stop laughing.

I knew I should, judging by the murderous expression on Dimitri's face, but the irony of it all made it impossible.

"Would you stop laughing?" Dimitri shouted, loud enough to shake the walls. He was like a cartoon character and I could almost see the smoke pouring out of his ears.

"I'm sorry Comrade, but don't you find it even the least bit amusing, given our history?" I asked. I immediately wished I hadn't.

"I just walked in on my baby sister having sex with her teacher…there is absolutely nothing amusing about that!" he growled, stalking over to the door.

His face was so serious I couldn't help but start laughing again.

"Oh come on Dimitri, where are you going?" I asked as he swung open the door.

"Out!" he shouted before slamming the door behind him. It took a few seconds before I was sure it wouldn't rattle straight off the hinges. A few seconds later I heard a tentative knock and when I opened it I found a slightly indignant but mostly shame faced Victoria.

"How bad is it?" she asked glancing around the room warily. She looked so scared I couldn't help but want to hug her.

"He'll be alright." I reassured her. "Just give him a little time to cool off."

_***Flashback***_

_"Maybe we should have called first…" Ivan after we'd been standing outside of Victoria's dorm room for 10 minutes._

_"I told her we would be here after the New Year." Dimitri mused, his expression one of deep thought. "Perhaps she's down in the gym." He suggested, setting our luggage down in the hallway before taking my hand and leading us across the quad._

_The campus of St. Basils really was beautiful, and nothing like the arctic wasteland of my imagination. Glancing around at all the scenery I couldn't wait to go exploring._

_We reached the gym in no time and Dimitri smiled proudly when he heard groaning coming from the other side of the gym doors._

_"I told you she was probably here." He announced, pushing his way through the door._

_All previous traces of happiness drained from his face the instant he saw her._

_She was lying on the sparring mats in a very compromising position, while the clearly older man on top of her was moving in her mid-thrust. The sound of the door slamming closed echoed throughout the gym catching both of their attention._

_Oh Shit!_

_"Dimka!" she cried out in horror as the man on top of her quickly scrambled for cover._

_Dimitri let out a menacing growl that sent shivers down my spine, while Ivan and Christian were snickering wildly at the scene before us. Lissa and Sophia seemed to share my stupefied expression and I made a mental to pick my jaw off of the ground._

_After an unbearably long silence, the mystery man in the room finally spoke._

_"This isn't what it looks like." He insisted, trying to pull back up his gym shorts._

_I cringed, waiting for the wrath of the Russian God standing next to me._

_And in 3, 2, 1…_

**_*Sorry, felt like a little cliffhanger tonight* : )_**


	16. Chapter 16

**Ivan's Point of View**

"How bad do you think this is going to get?" Sophia asked, sitting nervously on the bed.

We were in the guest room next to Rose and Dimitri and had been listening to them argue for the last 20 minutes. Clearly they had varying opinions on how this should have been handled.

**_*Flashback*_**

_After Dimitri had stormed out the first time, I thought it was in everyone's best interest to follow him; so I did. That's how we ended up in the guardians lounge, raiding the fridge for their leftover beer. The place was pretty deserted for the holidays, hence the reason Vika felt confident enough to get down in the middle of the gym floor. And although I'd never admit this to D, I had to give the girl props for creativity…_

"_What the hell was she thinking? He's her teacher!" Dimitri shouted, flopping down in one of the fluffy lounge chairs._

"_Weren't you Rose's teacher?" I asked, knowing full well I was probably playing with fire. That's the thing about alcohol; it makes you bold…and stupid. _

"_I was her mentor. There's a difference." He explained coldly before taking a long swig of his beer. _

"_Semantics." I told him, waving my hand dismissively. He was just about to argue when someone cleared their throat in the doorway._

_After his ridiculous "It's not what it looks like" speech, Dimitri had stormed out of the gym, but not before ordering Victoria to put on her damn clothes and go to her room. He didn't even bother dignifying the half-naked dude with a response. But now, said half naked dude was bravely and foolishly walking into the lion's den. _

"_Guardian Belikov, may I have a word with you…in private." He added after glancing over at me. _

"_That's not really in your best interest. If Ivan leaves the room so does my incentive not to kill you… on account of the lack of any witnesses." Dimitri told him, causing me to chuckle and choke on the beer I was trying to swallow. _

"_Look I know what you must be thinking, but it wasn't what it looked like."_

_Seriously dude, your gonna try that line again?_

_I looked at Dimitri out of the corner of my eye and saw his jaw was clenched._

"_Really? Well that's a relief. And here I thought it looked like you were having sex with my underage sister on a dirty gym floor. My mistake." Dimitri spit back, with a healthy dose of Rose like sarcasm. That girl was definitely rubbing off on him, in more ways than one!_

"_Don't you think that's a bit hypocritical given your own history?" The idiot asked Dimitri._

"_Excuse me?" Dimitri asked, shooting up out of his chair._

_Bad move Pal…_

"_I'm just saying it's no secret that you had your own affair back at St. Vladimir's. Victoria told me."_

_Dude, he did not just call Rose an affair. Here it comes._

"_Rose and I weren't having an affair! I was her mentor, not her teacher. I was only 4 years older than her, not to mention that we fell in love. Can you say the same? Do you love my sister? Because I've got to tell you, from where I'm sitting that seems highly unlikely! How old are you anyway?" He shouted, practically foaming at the mouth. _

_One more dumb word out of this guy's mouth and he was toast. _

"_My age isn't important right now. What's important is…"_

"_HOW OLD?" Dimitri cut him off, moving to stand directly in front of him._

"_27" He admitted, unable to meet Dimitri's eye._

_Oh shit._

_And that's when Dimitri hit him. _

_And when he was done, he hit him again._

_Part of me knew I should probably stop him before this got out of hand, but the less rational part of me knew that if I had walked in on my baby sister getting pounded by a guy 10 years older than her, I'd probably need to get a few hits out of my system too._

_Of course I had overestimated my ability to stop Dimitri once he got started, and let me tell you it was a lot harder than it look. The man was beast, and I'd have had better luck trying to lift a car. Fortunately for everyone involved, Rose showed up._

* * *

><p><strong>Rose's Point of View<strong>

"What were you thinking, you could have killed him!" I shouted, not even bothering to keep my voice level. The scene I had walked into in the guardians lounge was appalling and I don't think I ever want to see that side of Dimitri again.

"I was thinking the man was 10 years older than Victoria and having sex with my baby sister!" He shouted back. He was sitting on the bed icing his disgusting, bloody red knuckles.

"Victoria is going to kill you." I told him, knowing full well how she felt about Sasha.

t was the reason I had gone looking for Dimitri in the first place. After talking to Victoria about him, she begged me to try and get her brother to see reason. I wasn't exactly thrilled about the age difference either, but people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, and as someone who's spent the last few years hiding their relationship I wasn't really in a position to judge.

"Not if I kill her first." Dimitri mumbled under his breath, wincing as he shifted the ice pack on his hands.

He was a sad sight.

I wanted to keep yelling at him, but I knew that wouldn't get us anywhere. Instead I walked over to the bed and took the ice pack out of his hands.

"Dimitri, look at me." I ordered, willing him to meet my eyes. He was hesitant at first but eventually complied.

"You of all people know that we can't help who we love. And I know you don't want to hear this, but Victoria love's him. Whether or not he loves her back, who's to say. But you're not going to find the answer by pummeling him. Yes he is older, and yes it's inappropriate. But think about how many time's people have said the same thing about us, and now here you are doing the same thing."

"She's my little sister Rose, how can you expect me to be okay with this?" He asked with tortured eyes.

"I expect you to be okay with it because you love her. And you love me. And because you scared the crap out of me down there and I never want to see that side of you again." I told him and he winced slightly when he realized what he'd done.

"I'm sorry Milaya, I didn't mean to scare you." He apologized, kissing my forehead tenderly.

"You know I always knew you were a bad ass Comrade, but that was just insane. If I hadn't been so terrifying it would have been totally hot…" I chuckled, watching as he raised one eyebrow in question.

I leaned forward to press a chaste kiss to his lips, and laughed when he pouted, clearly wanting more.

"Nah Uh Comrade, you've got more important things to do." I told him, trying to wiggle out of his death grip.

"What could possibly be more important than this?" He asked, trailing his lips down my neck and beginning to suck on my collar bone. I knew I should be fighting this, but I didn't call him a God for no reason.

"Dimitri…" I whined, in a half ass effort to deter him, but thankfully he kept going.

"Think of this as my first stop on the Dimitri Belikov apology tour." He murmured against my skin as he made his way back up my neck. The second he found my sweet spot I relented.

"Fine. But don't think you're off the hook." I told him, pulling back sternly to look at him.

"Yes Milaya." He told me, before returning to his tantalizing ministrations.

* * *

><p>After Dimitri and I had sufficiently made up, I decided a walk around the campus would do me some good. I wanted to get to know my current surroundings and I was eager to explore the world of St. Basils.<p>

With Dimitri busy making amends, Sophia had insisted on accompanying me and we wandered around idly, recalling some of our own favorite memories from the academy. St. Basils wasn't that different from St. Vlad's and I found the place oddly comforting, like coming home.

Most of the campus was a ghost town thanks to the holiday break, and the only bodies we ran into were those of the guardians on patrol. Even the head master wasn't due back for a few days. After about an hour of exploring my stomach growled in protest and with a chuckle Sophia dragged me towards the cafeteria.

The cafeteria itself was fairly typical but it was what I found inside that surprised me.

Sitting alone at long rectangular table was a beautiful little girl who couldn't have been more than 5. She had curly light brown hair and the most mesmerizing teal blue eyes. The moment she looked up and met my gaze my heart broke.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked her tentatively, trying to wipe away the streaming tears on her tiny cheek.

She just shook her head no.

"Can you tell me what's wrong?" I asked, looking to Sophia for help. The poor thing was crying so hard she had started to hiccup uncontrollably. Not really sure what else to do, I scooped her up in my arms and cradled her to my chest.

"SHH да Milaya." **(Shhh, it's okay Milaya.)** I murmured. It always comforted me when Dimitri said that, and seeing as how we were in a Russian academy I figured the girl probably spoke the language.

"Вы говорите по-русски?" **(****You speak Russian?) **She asked, her little teal eyes getting bright.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, I'm afraid not. But my boyfriend does, and it always makes me feel better." I told her with a smile.

"Do you speak English?" I asked, after realizing she might not even understand what I was saying.

She nodded her head and smiled. It was a beautiful smile, and my heart warmed.

"My name is Rose, and this is Sophia." I said gesturing to my silent friend beside me. "What's your name?"

"Francesca." She whispered so lightly I could barely hear her.

"That's a beautiful name." I told her, and she beamed brightly at my praise. "Can you tell me what's got you so upset Francesca?"

Her smile faltered some and her little lip began to quiver. Once again I took her gently in my arms and started to stroke her hair. After a couple of minutes she seemed to relax.

"I miss my friends." She told me, looking down at her shoes. "They all went home for holiday."

_Poor baby._

"What about your family?" I asked gently, hoping not to set her off again.

"I don't have one." She admitted, looking up at me sadly.

I didn't know what it was about this little girl, but something about her called to me. She was so small and all alone, and it reminded me of all the times I spent missing my own family before I found the Dragomir's. I had been lucky enough to find a best friend like Lissa and a family that was kind of enough to take me in. But this sweet little girl didn't have anyone, and the thought alone broke my heart.

"You know, I was just about to find my boyfriend and get us something to eat. Would you like to join us?" I asked, watching as her little teal eyes grew brighter. She was just about to nod excitedly when she thought of something.

"Is your boyfriend nice?" She asked suspiciously and I couldn't help but laugh at her overly serious expression.

"He's the nicest person I know." I told her. "Well except for my best friend Lissa."

"No offense Sophia!" I told her quickly and she laughed.

"None taken."

"Can I meet Lissa too?" Francesca asked enthusiastically.

_How could I refuse such a face?_

"Well of course!" I told her, taking her tiny little hand in mine.

With everything that had gone so monumentally wrong in my life, something about helping this little girl just felt right. Maybe I was getting in over my head, and maybe bringing an innocent 5 year old into my crazy life was a bad idea, but as she looked up at me with those sparkling teal blue eyes, I decided I didn't really care. Francesca needed me, and I'd be damned if I wasn't going to help.


	17. Chapter 17

**Dimitri's Point of View**

"Maybe you should knock first." Ivan smirked and I had to resist the urge to punch him in the arm.

We were standing outside of Victoria's dorm room and I was trying to get up the nerve to face her. I didn't want to think about my baby sister being intimate, never mind seeing it. But Rose had insisted that after the way I'd reacted, I needed to apologize and made it clear in no uncertain terms there'd be no sex for me if I didn't.

So with a deep breath, I knocked on the door.

I could hear sniffles and feet shuffling from the other side before it opened, and the look on Victoria's face when it did broke my heart.

"Dimka, я так извиняюсь!" **(Dimka I'm so sorry!)** She wailed, throwing herself into my arms. I was a little caught off guard, but recovered quick enough.

She was still sobbing uncontrollably and I wasn't exactly sure what to do. You'd think with as many times as this happened with Rose, I'd be used to it, but this was different. When Rose cried I almost always knew what it was about, but with Vika I didn't have a clue.

"Виктория, что случилось? "**(Victoria, what's wrong?) **I asked, leading her into the room. When we sat down on the bed she flung herself back into my arms.

"Я смеюсь над собой!"**(I'm so stupid!)** She cried. "Я подумал, что он меня любил!" **(I thought he loved me.)**

_That son of a bitch._

I felt Ivan put a restraining hand on my shoulder, cautiously reminding me of what happened the last time I lost my temper.

I knew that no good son of a bitch was using my sister.

The big brother in my wanted to go rip off his head, but he probably hadn't fully recovered from the last time I had attacked him, and right now Victoria needed me.

SHH, просто дышать, все будет в порядке. Я обещаю. **( Shh, just breathe. Everything's going to be okay. I promise.)**

I sat with Victoria for the next hour, trying to console her and secretly counting down the minutes until I could tell Rose that I had been right. After seeing the way my sister looked now, Sasha had gotten off easy this morning, and he'd do well to remember that.

When I got back to the room, I found Rose was already there waiting for me. Of course the gloating would have to wait because apparently she'd made a new friend.

Sitting on the bed in our room was the most adorable little girl I had ever seen, with the most captivating teal blue eyes. She was covering her eyes while she counted to 10 and I noticed Rose wink at me from her hiding spot behind the closet door.

_What had I just walked into?_

"Ready or not, here I come!" The little girl squealed, but the second she uncovered her eyes and saw me she screamed.

_Crap, I scared her. _

_Of course I scared her. I'm a 6'7 stranger she just caught staring at her._

"Shhh, it's okay Frankie!" Rose cooed, jumping out of the closet. "Nice work Comrade, way to scare the baby!" She teased.

The little girl eagerly clung to Rose for safety and snuggled into her chest.

"It's okay, it's okay." She kept telling the little girl over and over. They looked more like a mother and daughter than new friends.

_Was I really only gone an hour?_

"Frankie, this is my boyfriend I told you about." She told the little girl, who lifted her head out of the crook of Rose's neck to inspect me.

"Dimitri, this is my new friend Frankie."

"Hello." I told her tentatively, crouching down so I was more at her level. I knew my height could be intimidating and I didn't want to frighten her again.

"Hi." She whispered, peeking out at me from behind her little brown curls.

_She really was a beautiful child. _

"See, now were all friends!" Rose smiled brightly, tickling the little girl's sides. In her arms Frankie began to giggle wildly and the sound was intoxicating; I couldn't help but join in.

"Are you hungry Milaya?" I asked, knowing Rose hadn't eaten anything since breakfast.

"Famished!" She told me, standing up and pulling a little Frankie to her feet. "We were just waiting for you to get back before heading out."

"Are you hungry Frankie?" I asked, and she nodded her little head eagerly. It was pretty adorable and Rose and I both started laughing again.

"Well then ladies…shall we?" I asked, offering Rose my arm.

She looked at Frankie who was beaming brightly and nodded.

"We shall."

* * *

><p>All throughout dinner I couldn't shake this strange feeling. I didn't want to believe it had something to do with Frankie, but the more time I spent with her, the more unsettled I became.<p>

Rose however was the opposite. She was drawn to the little girl like a moth to a flame. Everything she did was captivating and she couldn't stop gushing about how adorable she was; and she was right.

But there was something else there, something I couldn't quite put my finger on. And when we settled into bed that night I needed answers.

"How much do you know about her?" I asked, as Rose was finishing brushing out her hair. She was wearing one of my old St. Basil's t shirts as a nightgown and making it difficult to focus on anything else.

"Not much." She mused, pulling the brush through her hair. "I found her in the cafeteria in tears and she said she was lonely. It kind of reminded me of when my parents used to leave me at the academy over the holidays, until I started going home with Lissa."

Rose sounded so wistful when she talked about that time, and I couldn't understand why Abe and her mother had ever thought it was okay to leave her behind.

"Did she say anything about her family?"

"Just that she didn't have one. Why are you asking so many questions?" She asked curiously; as she peeled back the blankets and climbed in bed beside me.

I wasn't really sure what to tell her. I wasn't even sure myself.

"Just curious I guess." I half lied, hoping she wouldn't hear the slight edge in my voice.

"So Sasha broke things off with Victoria huh?" Rose asked, turning my attention to a more serious matter.

I still hadn't decided what I was going to do about him. He was a combat instructor here and a good one at that. But that didn't mean I was willing to let him get away with taking advantage of his students. If he'd done it to Victoria, who knew how many others there had been.

"Now I kind of wish I hadn't pulled you off him Comrade." Rose mused, trailing a hand lightly across my bare chest. I knew what she was doing. She wanted to have this conversation while keeping me mildly distracted.

_Well, it was definitely working._

"That makes two of us Milaya." I replied, running my own fingers lightly under the fabric of her t shirt. She let out a soft moan and I was done for.

We didn't talk anymore that night, about Frankie or Sasha. But before I drifted off to sleep holding Rose, I made a mental note to look more into Frankie's background tomorrow.

* * *

><p><strong>Unknown Point of View<strong>

What is it with women and babies?

I suppose I should be grateful. The child was exactly the distraction I needed. I had worked far too long on this plan to let any of those meddlesome blood bags keep me from getting what I want.

We'd spent years experimenting on those weaklings and now the formula was complete.

We done the research, and knew what worked. We also knew what didn't. It was the reason some of those little brats had ended up at the academies. Personally I thought we should just terminate them, but that tiresome woman had persuaded me otherwise.

What did I care if they were innocent children? Innocent is just another term for weak, and I don't tolerate weakness.

But I'm nothing if not practical, and when she suggested we could use the children as spies, I agreed. Surely they could live so long as they served a purpose. I just never imagined one would serve so useful now…

Not only had I managed to locate Rose's new whereabouts, I had the perfect distraction in order to get to her. She was smitten with the child, the way all of the un-awakened seemed to be. It was something about their genetic makeup that seemed to draw people in, like the perfect predator. It was one of the greatest strengths these children possessed. The prey came right to them like the fools they are.

And now Rosemarie was just as foolish as the rest.

She had fallen prey to my little experiment and now I had her exactly where I wanted her.


	18. Chapter 18

**Rose's Point of View**

"Rose please don't say anything!" Victoria pleaded as we headed out of the locker rooms and into the crowded gym.

Over the past few days we'd been spending a lot of time together, and now that it was the first day of the new semester, she would finally have to face Sasha.

In a shocking turn of events, Dimitri had remained relatively calm about all this, which in truth was kind of putting me on edge. If you asked me, he was too calm and I kind of wondered what he was up to.

"I'm not making any promises Vika."

The guy was a total douche for taking advantage of her the way he did. Sleeping around with a teenage girl and then dropping her like a ton a bricks the second her brother shows up; so not cool.

Victoria had been adamant that she didn't want anyone to say anything. She thought crying about it would make it seem weak and that was the last thing she wanted to do. Of course that didn't mean I couldn't fuck with the guy, and trust me, I fully intended to. Even Victoria didn't know what was about to go down…

When we walked into the gym, I saw Sasha getting the group ready for warm up stretches.

"Belikov, you're late." He announced, barely sparing her a glass.

_What an ass._

"Actually she's not late until I say she's late." I told him with a devilish smirk on my face.

Now normally I was completely opposed to using my father's influence for evil, but drastic times call for drastic measures. I made a few calls, he pulled a few strings and Voila!

"I'm not sure I follow you Lady Mazur…" he said cautiously.

_Ugh. I hate when people use my formal title._

"Lady Mazur was my mother. You can call me Rose." I stated plainly with the same disinterest with which he addressed Victoria before.

"And to answer your question, as of this morning this is now my combat class."

* * *

><p>"Rose that was awesome!" Victoria squealed as we were leaving the gym for the day.<p>

To say Sasha didn't take my announcement very well was an understatement and after a couple of well-placed words I managed to back him into a corner. I told him I would relinquish control of my new class if he could beat me in a sparring match, and he accepted like the overly confident fool he was.

I suppose I could understand his position. I mean he was a highly trained Dhamphir and I was nothing more than a Royal Moroi. What could he possibly have to fear from me? But like Dimitri always says, only a fool would underestimate Rose Mazur, and Sasha didn't disappoint.

"Rose, may I have a word?" Sasha asked, leaning casually against the outside of the gym doors. I had a feeling he'd have something to say about all this.

"Go ahead Victoria; I'll catch up with you later." She gave Sasha a wistful look before taking off in the direction of the novice dorms. The moment she was out of hearing range he was in my face.

"What the hell was that today?" He growled.

_Obviously the guy's a sore loser._

"I'm sorry; I don't know what you mean?" I asked feigning innocence. I knew how annoying that would be.

"Cut the crap Rose. You humiliated in front of my students today!"

It was true; I had seriously made an ass of out him. The fight had been over almost as quickly as it had started and all the kids in the class were cackling with laughter after their big bad instructor got his ass handed to him by a girl.

"I'm sorry if you feel that way Guardian Zorin." I shrugged easily, completely unaffected by the venomous tone in his voice. I had already kicked his ass once today; I had no qualms about doing it again.

"Listen Bitch, I know what you're trying to do and it's not going to work. This is my school, and I'm not about to let some stuck up Royal waltz in here and make a fool out of me."

_Oh this guy was so lucky Dimitri wasn't around to hear that._

"Trust me Sasha; you don't need my help to look like a fool." I smirked.

"Maybe next time you'll think twice about sleeping with one of your students, especially one that's in good favor with Abe Mazur. You know how vindictive us stuck up Royals can be…" I trailed off, letting my words sink in.

His eyes widened at the sound of my father's name but his anger seemed to win out over surprise and his angry mask slammed back into place.

"You think this is over little girl?" He sneered. If he had fire powers I would have been in flames already.

"Oh I'm just getting started with you." I told him smugly."

"Have a nice day Guardian Zorin."

I smiled a sickly sweet smile before heading on my way.

No one messes with Rose Mazur, and they certainly don't mess with the people I love.

* * *

><p><strong>Dimitri's Point of View<strong>

"You should have seen it Dimka, she had him staked in under 2 minutes."

Ever since Victoria had walked in the door, she couldn't stop gushing about what Rose had done in gym today. I smiled broadly at the thought of Rose making an ass out of that man. Not many people knew just how lethal Rose could be and I wasn't the least bit surprised he'd underestimated her.

"You could learn a lot from her Victoria."

"Yeah no kidding! Who knew a Moroi could be so bad ass. I mean Zorin is a legend around her, and now he's nothing but a joke!"

She looked so pleased about it all that I made a mental note to give Rose a special thank you later for making my little sister so happy.

"Yeah well it's easy when you have a God for a mentor." Rose piped up from the doorway. She was leaning against the frame, looking every bit as smug as I would expect after what she'd just done.

"I heard you had an interesting morning." I told her, kissing her lightly on the cheek.

"It was nothing." She downplayed it, going to set her gym bag on the floor.

"But I could definitely use a shower. Care to join me Comrade?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Eww Gross Rose, I'm still standing right here!" Victoria cried, visibly cringing at Rose's suggestion.

"I'm sorry Milaya, but Ivan and I have somewhere to be." I lied smoothly. "But maybe you can work up another sweat while I'm gone and I can join you later." I winked and Rose laughed at how uncomfortable our exchange was making Victoria.

"I'd much rather work up a sweat with you…" She murmured against my lips, temporarily making me forget I had somewhere I needed to be.

"YOU GUYS!" Victoria shouted, covering her not so innocent ears.

"Alright alright!" Rose laughed. "See you later Lover." She winked, tossing her towel over her shoulder as she closed the bathroom door.

_Damn that woman was sexy._

* * *

><p>20 minutes later I was in Head Master Moskalev's office, meticulously poring over Frankie's personnel file.<p>

"What exactly are you expecting to find?" Ivan asked, looking bored as he shuffled through the papers on the head masters desk.

"I don't really know Ivan. I just have this feeling. Something's off about all of this."

"You sound paranoid dude. She's a five year old kid."

I didn't know how to explain my thoughts to anyone else; sometimes I had trouble explaining them to myself. But the more time Roza and I spent around Frankie, the stronger that feeling got. I pulled out the first paper in the file and started reading.

**Name: Francesca J. Durov**

**Age: 5**

**Birthday: January 1, 2009**

_Huh. That's weird. She never mentioned her birthday and that was the first day Roza met her._

**Father: Deceased (Unlisted)**

**Mother: Deceased (Unlisted)**

**Birthplace: Seattle, Washington. United States.**

_Huh. That's awfully close to Spokane…_

"This is weird." I thought out loud.

"What's weird?" Ivan asked, abandoning the rubber band ball he was busy making.

"Frankie's parents are unlisted and it says she was born in Seattle Washington."

"How did she end up in Russia then?" Ivan asked, coming to stand over my shoulder to look at her file.

_Maybe I wasn't so crazy after all._

"That's what I'd like to know."

**Element: To be determined.**

**Known Relatives: None**

**Notes: Francesca is a very special little girl who has exhibited signs of early elemental mastery. She shows promise in all five of the elements, including spirit and has trouble controlling her temper. When she gets worked up, she loses control over her abilities and can be very unpredictable. It was recommended that she be placed on medication to help regulate her mood swings, but after careful observation it appears she is immune to the medication. More tests will be confirmed at a later date.**

I flipped the page over to find there was nothing else about Frankie on the other side of the paper, and after returning to the thin folder I found nothing else.

"Is that it? That's all they have on her?" Ivan asked, holding up the empty folder and shaking it out.

"I don't understand any of this. How does a little girl, born in the United States, with no known living family end up living at an academy in the most remote part of Russia? And what's the deal with her mastering all of the elements? Have you ever heard of anything like that?"

"Nope." Ivan announced, popping his P.

_Clearly he's been spending too much time with Rose._

Just then Head Master Moskalev entered the room.

"Ah Guardian Belikov, did you find what you were looking for?"

_Not even close. _

"Not exactly Head Master. I was looking over Frankie's file, but there isn't much in here. Do you have anything you could add to this?" I asked, holding up the suspiciously thin folder.

"Ahh yes, Miss Durov has always been something of a mystery to us."

"How did she end up here?" I asked when it seemed he was willing to at least try to answer my questions.

"Francesca came to us when she was about 3. Now normally we don't accept children so young, as it is not academy policy. But she came with quite the sad story and in exchange for taking her in we were offered a sizable donation."

"What was the story?" Ivan asked, taking a seat beside me.

"I'm afraid I don't have much to offer. We were only told that the girl's family was attacked by a group of Strigoi near Seattle and that both her parents had been killed in the attack. She was brought here by an Aunt or something, but after dropping her off she was never heard from again."

"I don't suppose you know this mystery Aunt's name?" I asked hopefully. Perhaps if I could get even a name I might be able to track down just where exactly in Seattle she came from.

"Let me think, it started with a J…. Maybe Janet… or Janie…oh that's right it was Janine." He stated proudly.

"Her name was Janine Hathaway."


	19. Chapter 19

**Dimitri's Point of View**

"I think you need another one." Ivan told me, handingover another beer.

We were sitting on the roof of the academy, a place I used to sneak up to as a kid when I wanted to be alone. It was my own private place, and I liked to come here whenever I needed to think.

Ever since my phone call with Abe this afternoon, my head was spinning.

_*Flashback*_

"_Belikov, do you have any idea what time it is?" Abe asked. _

_Clearly I hadn't been paying any attention to the time difference._

"_Tell me what really happened to Rose's mother." I demanded, not even bothering with any pleasantries. I needed to know how much Abe knew about this. As far as Rose knew her mother was killed in a Strigoi attack when she was seven._

_The silence on the other end told me I had definitely caught him by surprise._

_After a long pause he finally spoke. _

"_Belikov, I think you better tell me what exactly is going on there."_

_After filling him in on Rose's new found interest in Frankie and the mysterious little Moroi that she was, Abe let out a heavy sigh and I knew I wouldn't like what I was about to hear._

"_When Rosemarie was seven her mother was taken, but not killed."_

"_By who?" I asked, not having any kind of patience for his usual theatrics._

"_Victor Dashkov."_

_Son of a bitch._

"_Before Rosemarie was born, he was obsessed with her. He spent years pinning after Janine, but she never returned his affections. After he turned Strigoi, we thought he was out of our lives for good; but we were wrong. In the years that everything was quiet, he was silently building up his army and when Rosemarie was seven he attacked. His Strigoi slaughtered our entire household, and the only reason he spared me was so that I would suffer. Life without Janine was unbearable…and I couldn't even be around Rose without seeing her. It's the reason there was so much distance between us for all those years. I was too weak to face her, not when she reminded me so much of her mother."_

_I could hear the desperation in his voice, and I wondered if that's how I would feel if I ever lost Rose._

"_All these years I figured Victor had turned her, but if she was able to drop that child off at the academy then I'm not so sure."_

_I was so busy trying to wrap my head around the fact that Rose's mother was still alive, that I hadn't even thought of that._

"_But why would he keep her as a Moroi all these years?" _

_It didn't make any sense. Not after all the crazy talk about him needing a Strigoi Queen. _

"_That my boy is a good question." Abe mused. I could almost picture him stroking his long beard. _

_*End Flashback*_

"Dude, what are you going to tell Rose?" Ivan asked.

"Beats the hell out of me." I admitted, taking another swig of my beer.

How do you tell the woman that you love that the psychotic Strigoi who has been stalking her is actually responsible for kidnapping her mother when she was seven and that her own father let her believe that she was dead all these years.

_As if they don't have a tenuous enough relationship…_

"Well whatever you do, you've got to tell her. She has a right to know D, and she'll never forgive you if you don't."

I knew Ivan was right. I had learned my lesson about keeping things from Rose in the past, and I wasn't about to make the same mistake twice.

When I got back to our room, she was sitting on our bed reading Frankie story.

"Hi Dimka." Frankie chirped up when I walked in.

She really was a sweet kid. Too bad I was pretty sure she had nefarious origins.

"How was your day?" I asked, pressing a kiss to Rose's forehead. Frankie leaned forward, clearly wanting a kiss of her own. I chuckled a little at her antics, but obliged to please Rose. She smiled fondly at the action.

"We had a great day." Rose told me, returning to Frankie's story.

For once I was grateful that Rose was sufficiently distracted. I had spent most of the afternoon trying to figure out how to tell her, but every scenario I played out in my mind just didn't seem right.

"Is everything okay?" Rose asked me, after returning from walking Frankie back to her room. Her beautiful face looked at me with such concern that I seriously contemplated not telling her. I didn't want to be responsible for causing her any more grief.

"Dimitri…" She started. "Just talk to me. You know you can tell me anything."

I knew that she meant it. Her eyes were so full of earnest concern.

With a defeated sigh I took her small hands in mine.

"Roza Milaya, I think we need to talk."

* * *

><p><strong>Rose's Point of View<strong>

"Lissa!" I shouted, banging on her door.

"Lissa, open up!" I pleaded.

I couldn't believe it.

I still couldn't believe it. Was everyone in my life keeping secrets from me?

"Rose, what's wrong?" Lissa asked sleepily as she stood in the opened doorway in her pajamas. I could tell from her disheveled state that I had woken her.

I opened my mouth to tell her, but the only thing that came out was tears.

* * *

><p><em>*Flashback*<em>

_"What do you mean my mother is alive?"_

_I didn't understand what Dimitri was talking about. My mother was killed by a Strigoi when I was seven; everyone knew that._

_"Roza it's complicated, but please I need you to just sit down." He urged, pushing me back towards the bed._

_"Dimitri I don't understand." I told him. He wasn't making any sense._

_He looked at me with the most tortured expression before taking a seat on the bed beside me._

_"I was looking into Frankie's past today and the Head Master told me she had an aunt...Her name was Janine Hathaway."_

_What?_

_"Why were you looking into Frankie's past?" I shouted. I knew he had been acting weird about her lately, but for the life of me I didn't know why._

_"That's not important right now Roza. Now just listen. After I heard that, I called your father and he told me some things…"_

_"What kind of things?" I asked, my eyes narrowing._

_"Rose, he told me that he lied to you; that your mother didn't die when you were seven, she was taken. And the person who took her was Victor Dashkov."_

_What the hell?_

_"Dimitri this is crazy. Why would Victor want to take my mother?" I asked. The words were out of my mouth before I had really thought about them, but the moment I did it all made sense._

_If Victor was obsessed with my mother, that would explain his obsession with me._

_"Abe told me he was in love with your mother. And after the attack he thought she'd been turned. It's the reason why he never went to look for her; he had no reason to believe she was still alive."_

_"Why are you telling me this now?" I asked. My head was spinning and I really needed Dimitri to say something that made a little sense._

_"Well if it really was Janine that brought Frankie to the academy 2 years ago then there's a chance she might still be a Moroi. It's the only way she'd have been able to get past the wards."_

_Frankie._

_"What were you doing investigating Frankie in the first place?" I asked, my previous annoyance bubbling to the surface. I could tell this was a part of the conversation he didn't want to have. He was looking everywhere but at me when he spoke again._

_"Roza, I know how much you care about her, but I've just had this strange feeling. I don't really know how to explain it, but given what I know now, I think she has something to do with Victor."_

_Seriously?_

_"Dimitri, don't be ridiculous. She's a little girl. What could she possibly know about Victor?" I shouted. He was walking a thin line here bringing Frankie into this, and I wasn't sure how much longer my temper would hold._

_"I'm not saying she knows anything about Victor, but I think Victor knows something about her. I was reading her file today and …"_

_"You were reading her file?" I screeched. Why the hell was he treating her like this? I thought he loved her as much as I did._

_"Roza please, just calm down." He urged._

_Calm down? He wanted me to calm down?_

_"Don't tell me to calm down! I just found out my mother's alive, my father's been lying to me my whole life, and my boyfriend's been sneaking around my back spying on an innocent little girl like she's some sort of criminal!"_

_"Roza please!" he shouted, standing up to stare down at me. "I know you're angry but I'm just trying to keep you safe. I made a promise to always protect you, and if that means I need to shake a few trees to find answers then that's what I'm going to do. I won't apologize for that!_

_I stared back at him incredulously but I could hardly stand the sight of him._

_"Where are you going?" He asked exasperated when I started to grab my coat and head to the door. I was still wearing my pajamas but what did I care. I needed to get some air and I needed it fast._

_"Out!" I shouted back, slamming the door._

_Lord knows he's pulled that card on me enough times during this trip. Let's see how much he likes it._

_*End Flashback*_

* * *

><p>"Wow." Was all Lissa said.<p>

"Rose, I know you don't want to hear this…but he has a point." Christian added, looking nervous on the couch next to Lissa.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I screeched as Lissa reached out to grab my hand. She gave it a gentle squeeze of support.

"Frankie's a great kid Rose, but she's also a little off. Ivan and I have talked about it before too. If there's even the slightest chance that Victor has anything to do with all of this, can you really blame Dimitri for being concerned?"

What was with everyone thinking Frankie was so strange; she was a child for crying out loud!

I mean sure, she was extremely advanced in the elements for her age. And she seemed to be well on her way to mastering them all, even spirit. And ok, when we'd worked together on hand to hand combat she had shown extraordinary reflexes. But that didn't make her some sort of mini monster or anything. She was just special. She was unique.

While I was busy mulling over my own thoughts in my head, Christian seemed to interpret my silence as permission to continue.

"Look, all I'm saying is that you should talk to him. Try to understand what this has been like for him. Dimitri loves you Rose, more than anything in this world. And with the threat of Victor hanging over your head, it's completely normal for the guy to feel a little paranoid. Just give the man a break."

I would never admit this to Christina, but he might be right.

I knew how stressed out Dimitri had been, and was it really so terrible that he was so looking out for me.

Perhaps I had over reacted a little…

"Fine." I grumbled in defeat, hating the smug smile that spread out on Christians face. Thankfully he didn't say anymore to rub it in.

As I made my way back down the hall to my room, I felt my phone start vibrating in my pocket. I fished it out expecting it to be an apology text from Dimitri but instead I was stopped clean in my tracks.

There was no sign of who sent it, but honestly that was the least of my concerns. I was more focused on the picture that was attached. The picture of my sweet little Frankie bound and gagged in a wooden chair.

**Meet me in the old Guardian post in 10 minutes or she's dead. And come alone.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Christians Point of View**

_Where the hell was she going?_

It was the middle of the night and here I was trudging after my hysterical friend with no idea what we were getting ourselves into.

Sound familiar?

_*Flashback*_

_I was sitting in the south wing lounge of the lodge when Mason went tearing past like a bat out of hell. Eddie wasn't very far behind him._

"_Seriously Mase, this is crazy!" Eddie yelled, grabbing his best friends arm and pulling him to a halt._

_Mason just glared at him._

"_Nobody asked you to come along." Mason spit back, jerking his arm out of Eddie's grip._

"_Yeah well it's not like I can let you go to Spokane alone." He grumbled. _

_What the hell was in Spokane? I wondered._

_I looked between the two of them, trying to figure out what the hell this was all about, but I got nothing. Eddie looked desperate and Mason just looked furious._

"_Look Eddie, consider this your out man. You don't have to tag along you know. This is my problem."_

"_You don't have a problem Mason, you have a bruised ego!" Eddie shouted, clearly exasperated with this particular conversation._

"_You didn't see the way she was looking at him Eddie! How could she do this? Why Belikov?"_

_Ahh so he finally found out about Rose and Dimitri. It wasn't exactly common knowledge given their tricky predicament, but I was in the know because of Lissa._

_Eddie's face softened as he saw the hurt flash across his best friends face. Even I felt pretty sorry for the guy. _

_Ever since my Aunt Tasha had showed up causing problems for Dimitri, Mason had been Rose's go to for a pick me up. She had been flirting constantly with him on this trip, partly to make Dimitri jealous, but mostly because she was feeling sorry for herself. For the first time since her and Dimitri had gotten together she'd began to wonder if their ages really did make a difference. _

"_Look Mase, I know you're hurting right now but running off halfcocked isn't going to change anything." Eddie argued. _

"_Yes it will!" Mason shot back._

_You know, for two guy about to sneak out of a heavily guarded compound on some sort of fool's errand they sure weren't being quiet about it…_

"_Rose only likes the guy because she feels safe with him, but he's not the only one that can protect her you know! She'll see that!" _

"_Mason!" Eddie called after his best friend as he slung his backpack over his shoulder and stalked out the door._

_I knew I should probably tell someone about this._

_I wasn't normally the kind of guy who would poke his nose in someone else's business. I didn't bother other people and they tended not to bother me. But I liked those two dudes and I honestly felt bad for the guy. Rose had been toying with him and I'd hate to see something bad happen to him over a girl. Even if that girl happened to be one of my best friends. _

_I tucked down the corner of the page I was reading and rose from the couch._

"_Christian!" Rose called out running up to me out of breath. "Have you see Mason?"_

_Judging by the frantic and guilty look on her face I was guessing she was aware he knew about her and Belikov. _

"_Yeah about that; he and Eddie just passed through here. The guy was pretty pissed Rose." I tried not to sound too judgmental but her gaze shifted guiltily towards the ground anyway._

"_He didn't happen to mention where he was going did he?" she asked, slightly hopeful. Rose wasn't a bad person and I knew she'd never meant to hurt Mason._

"_Actually he did. He said something about Spokane…" Her eyes darted up to meet my face and I could tell that meant something to her._

"_What!" She screeched, grabbing my arm. I could feel her studying my face, looking for some sign that I was mistaken but she found none. And after a few seconds I think she realized that._

"_Shit!" She shouted as she sprinted towards the door. It would have been hard not to see the complete and utter terror that was plastered on her face._

"_Rose, wait!" I called after her, heading towards the door._

_Something told me this Spokane business was even more serious than I thought._

_Rose never even bothered to look back and as I chased her out into the cold winter night I remember thinking I'd picked a hell of a night to forget my cellphone._

_*End Flashback*_

After Rose's midnight meltdown in our bedroom, she'd rushed out of there forgetting her jacket. And like the good best friend that Lissa was, she made me chase after her, worried Rose might need it. Of course while I was on my way back to Rose's room, I saw her sprinting down the corridor and out the double doors that lead outside.

That's how I ended up here now, following my ridiculous and reckless best friend across the campus of St. Basils without a cell phone and wearing nothing more than my pajamas.

I swear I could strangle Rose for this.

When we reached the tree line I could vaguely make out the shape of what looked like an old guardian post. It was similar to the one Rose and Dimitri frequented back at St. Vladimir's. The one they used as their own personal love nest…

I was so distracted surveying my current surroundings that I hadn't even noticed when Rose slipped out of my line of sight. Of course a few seconds later she made her presence known when a small hand reached up to muffle me from behind.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She hissed. Her eyes kept darting around nervously.

I couldn't decide whether she looked more angry or terrified. Either way I had a bad feeling about all this.

_Damnit Rose…What have you gotten us into now?_

"You forgot your jacket in our room." I told her holding up the article of clothing for her to see.

"And that translates into you stalking me all the way out here how?" She asked snarkily. God she was such an ungrateful bitch sometimes. She was lucky that I loved her.

"Cut the crap Rose, what the hell are you doing out here?"

I was cold, tired and in no mood for bullshit. I wanted some answers and she had no choice but to give them to me.

I could tell she wanted to argue, but one look at my face and she thought better of it. Instead she handed over her cellphone.

"Seriously Rose?" I nearly shouted, wanting to choke the life out of her for being so stupid. "Why wouldn't you tell Dimitri about this?"

"Because he would have tried to stop me!" She cried, her voice full of pleading desperation. She was willing me to try and understand her but I couldn't.

I didn't understand this obsession she had with Frankie and her constant need to protect her. She'd only known the kid a few weeks, but you'd think she'd been looking after her her whole life.

I knew I shouldn't be letting her do this.

I couldn't let her do this.

But one good look at her expression and I knew I was going to let her do this.

"Fine." I grumbled. But I'm coming with you.

* * *

><p><strong>Rose's Point of View<strong>

Christian could be a real pain in the ass sometimes, but in this moment I could have kissed him.

"Thank you, thank you!" I cried, throwing my arms around him in a bone crushing hug.

"Yeah yeah." He grumbled. "Let's just get this over with and get back before Dimitri kills me."

After a few minutes of game planning, we headed towards the cabin doors. I had half considered forming some sort of elaborate plan so as to disguise the fact that Christian had tagged along, but Strigoi had the kind of senses that made that impossible. Besides, I was pretty sure when they said come alone they were referring to any Guardians, not some "helpless" Moroi. In fact, last time I checked, Strigoi never turned down the chance at easy prey.

Not that I would ever let them get close enough to try anything.

When we opened the door to the cabin, I noticed that it was poorly lit, and there was no sign of Frankie anywhere.

"I thought I told you to come alone." A female voice called out from the shadows.

"Where the hell is she?" I demanded. I was in no mood for pleasantries.

"She's safe…for now." The voice answered, stepping out into the light.

All of my previous irritation at Frankie's abduction immediately took the form of complete and total shock as I stared back at the woman standing in front of me.

"Mom?"


	21. Chapter 21

**Janine's Point of View**

I'd heard many things about Rosemarie over the years, but the most notable had been her beauty. Looking at her now I could see why.

She had grown into such a beautiful young woman, so was it any wonder that Victor was obsessed with her?

"Hello Rosemarie." I told her stepping a little closer so she could get a better look. It had been years since we had seen one another; 12 years to be exact.

Rose was staring at me like I was a ghost and I watched cautiously as her friend reach over to steady her on her feet.

"Perhaps we should sit down." I suggested when it became obvious she was too stunned to speak. However I think the sound of my voice was what she needed to break her out of her revere.

"I don't want to sit." She hissed. "I want to know what you did with Frankie!"

There was such a fierce and protective note to her tone whenever she spoke of Frankie.

"Like I told you before, she's safe." I told her but her furious expression told me she wouldn't be placated.

"She's with your father." I added and her face contorted in rage.

"My father?" She shouted.

"Rosemarie, take a seat." I told her, this time more forcefully. She scowled at being ordered around by her absentee mother but after exchanging a skeptical look with her friend, she begrudgingly took a seat on the couch.

"Start talking." She ordered and I had to hold back a small smile. She was every bit as ornery as I'd heard and reminded me so very much of her father.

"It's a long story Rose, but before I tell you anything I need you to promise me you won't over react when you hear it. I need you to promise you'll listen to everything I have to say before you judge me. Can you do that?" I asked.

She seemed annoyed by my request but agreed.

"Fine. Now talk."

"I'm not sure how much you know about when I was taken, but your father explained he told your boyfriend the gist of it."

She gave me a curt nod of her head to let me know to continue.

Victor always harbored an unnatural affection for me and after I was taken, I was so certain he would turn me. Of course I should have known what he wanted wasn't that simple.

"Despite what everyone else always thought, Victor had bigger plans for me than just to see me awakened. He wanted to build an army, an empire, and to change the future of the Moroi world as we know it. He had a lot of ideas about how to do this, but he found his true purpose in his desire to create a better breed of Moroi. He wanted to create one that was stronger, more powerful, with the added benefit of immortality."

The whole idea had been sickening.

"For years he experimented on creating these children, holding me prisoner until the time was just right. Every time one of his test subjects failed, he'd want to terminate them, but they were only innocent children and I begged him to let me send them away to the academies.

The first time he let me go alone to drop one of them off I thought I'd finally get my chance to escape. But right before I left Victor pulled me aside and showed me all the surveillance he'd collected of you. There were photos and videos of you and your life at St. Vladimirs and he promised me that if I failed to come back, he'd make sure you took my place instead.

I hated to go back to him, but I couldn't imagine you being in that place. So I went, and by the time I returned from my trip he told me that the right formula for what he wanted was now complete. 2 weeks later I was inseminated."

Rose looked like she wanted to open her mouth to say something, but her friend took her hand and shook his head, encouraging her to let me continue.

"Unlike the test subjects before me, my body didn't take to the pregnancy very well. I was sick all the time and lost quite a bit of weight. I spent 8 months struggling through an unbearable pregnancy before suffering a horrific birth that nearly killed me."

"I have a sibling?" Rose exclaimed, clearly too stunned to remember to hold her tongue.

"Yes, but there were complications with the birth." I told her, trying to remind her this story wasn't complete. "After the birth, there was little chance that I'd ever be able to carry another baby to term again, and needless to say Victor was furious. He was counting on me to give him the impeccably breed children he so desperately wanted, after which he had every intention of awakening me."

Rose made what could only be described as a clearly disgusted sound, reminding me that this was a part of the story she'd unfortunately heard before.

"But Victor being Victor wasn't about to let a little thing like infertility stop him, so he called in a spirit user who was unwillingly forced to heal me. Her name was Sonya Carp and after endless years in captivity she became my only friend. Even after she was granted permission to leave, she stayed behind to look after me. With an extensive background in medicine and chemistry, Victor was more than willing to oblige her request."

Thinking of Sonya now broke my heart, but I knew I had to keep going.

"The first few years after the baby was born, Victor was quite pleased. She showed great promise in her advanced abilities, but as her progress began to slow, so did Victors approval. By the time she was three he was sick of her. She had stopped advancing at the rate he'd been hoping for and as his frustration grew, I knew he was beginning to think she'd been a waste. We'd yet to be able to conceive another child and after several terrible attempts I'd begged him to let me stop trying. Of course that was all about to change now, because as I saw his resentment grow I knew I had to do something.

I went to Victor one night and told him I'd be willing to try again if he'd let me send the baby to an academy. She clearly wasn't the child he'd been hoping for, and I assured him our next child would be a success. Little did he know that would never happen, because when I left for the academy this time I knew I wasn't coming back."

I saw Rose's eyes darken as a few pieces of my story started to fall into place.

"Let me guess, this happened right before Victor found me in Spokane?" She asked darkly, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I'm so sorry Rose, you were almost 18 by then and I was so sure your father would be able to protect you."

I should have known that wasn't the case. He hadn't been able to protect me, why would Rosemarie be any different.

"Whatever." Rose replied rolling her eyes. "Just tell me what happened next."

"Once Victor realized I wasn't coming back, he lost it. He slaughtered half the people under his command, including Sonya, and that's when he set his sights on you. I guess he decided to make good on his promise that if I wouldn't give him what he wanted, he'd settle for taking it from you."

"Well thanks for that." Rose remarked dryly, and honestly I couldn't blame her.

"I know how you must feel about me Rose, but I never meant for any of this to happen."

I was desperate to make her understand, but if I'm honest with myself even I have to admit I hadn't really thought it through. I took one look at that innocent little girl and I just knew I had to protect her, even at the cost of Rose. I had saved one daughter at the expense of another. I was no better than Victor.

I was a monster.

"Of course you didn't mean for it to happen MOM, but you clearly didn't care what happened to me either!" She shouted, standing up from her previous spot on the couch. Her hands were clenched in tight fists at her sides and she was shaking.

"That's not true and you know it!" I shot back, feeling my own ugly temper rise to the surface. I loved Rose, I hadn't meant to hurt her!

"The hell I do!" Rose shouted back. "After today I'm not sure about anything anymore! My moms actually alive, my dads been lying to me my whole life, and apparently I even have some sort of crossbreed half sister I've never even met. The only thing I am sure of is that I'm done with all the secrets! Now I listened to your pathetic life story like you asked, so now it's time for you to give me my answers. Tell me right now, what the hell is Frankie doing with my father!" She demanded.

I looked into the furious and beautiful face of my daughter and I wasn't really sure how to tell her this. Something told me blunt honestly would be the best approach.

"Rose….Frankie is your sister."


	22. Chapter 22

**Dimitri's Point of View**

I never should have let her leave.

After pacing around the small space in my room for the last hour, I finally gave up on waiting for her to come. I knew I was probably over reacting; she was in the safety of the wards after all. But even with how upset she was when she left, she definitely should have been back by now.

**Knock Knock Knock**

In two long strides I was over to the door and had it open, but the sight that met me nearly stopped me in my tracks. Standing in the doorway was a pajama clad Christian and he was holding an unconscious Rose.

"What the hell happened?" I bellowed, and I saw him flinch a bit at my tone.

"Before you rip me a new one, can you maybe take her off my hands. She's not as light as she looks." He chuckled. I could tell he was just trying to joke to lighten the mood, but that wasn't happening.

I scooped Rose carefully into my own arms and laid her gently on our bed. I could see the remnants of tear stains on her face, and her long dark curls splayed out haphazardly around her head. Even in her sleep she looked distressed, and it broke my heart to know I was responsible for this. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't seem to stop disappointing her and I damn sure hadn't been able to protect her…again.

Once Rose was safely tucked in bed I turned on Christian.

"Now talk!" I ordered. Something had happened to Rose when she left this room and I needed to know what.

"You might want to sit down." Christian told me with a heavy sigh. For the first time since he'd shown up here with Rose, I noticed just how weary he looked.

I was still feeling too agitated to want to sit down, but I took a seat anyway.

"Okay now before I tell you any of this, please try to keep in mind that when I ran out of my room tonight I was only wearing my pajamas and I didn't have a cellphone..." He asked, once he'd taken a seat beside me on the small in suite couch.

_What the hell is he talking about?_

"Fine, I'll keep that in mind." I agreed, anxious for him to get to the point.

He still seemed pretty nervous, but with a reluctant sigh he started to explain.

"After that bombshell you dropped on Rose earlier she showed up at mine and Lissa's place."

_I'd expected that much._

"Lissa was able to talk her down and after a while we convinced her to go home. She was barely gone two minutes when Liss noticed she forgot her jacket and sent me out after her, but when I got to the hallway your room is on I saw Rose sprinting out the double doors leading outside. She looked pretty upset so I followed her."

_What the hell was Rose doing outside in the middle of the night in Siberia… in January?_

"At first I thought I was being pretty sneaky, but of course Rose was on to me the whole time. She jumped me outside this old cabin just past the tree line and started to interrogate me, but I flipped the tables on her and that's when she showed me this"

I was about to ask him what the hell he was talking about when I noticed the cellphone he was holding in his hands. He handed it over and my eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets at what I saw.

"Who sent this to her? Was it Victor?" I shouted. Christian shook his head and gave me a pointed look towards a sleeping Rose, reminding me to lower my voice.

"Chill man, it wasn't Victor…but it might as well have been. It was her mom."

_Oh shit._

"Needless to say Rose was shocked. Janine begged Rose to hear her out and after she did, she dropped another bomb on her." He was looking at me strangely now, as if trying to decide the best way to tell me this next part.

"Whatever it is Christian just spit it out."

"Dude, Frankie is her little sister…"

* * *

><p>I was still trying to process everything Christian had told me when I felt Rose beginning to stir beside me.<p>

"Roza?" I called out tentatively. I wasn't sure if she was really awake this time. We'd had a couple false alarms already.

"Mhmmmm." She mumbled, rolling onto her side and snuggling closer into me. I pulled her flush against my body, wishing more than anything I could keep her this close and safe always.

I had no idea what to expect from Rose when she woke up. After Christian told me that Rose collapsed when she heard the news about Frankie, I was trying to brace myself for any number of Rose Mazur reactions; some more terrifying than the others.

Thinking back about it now, it all made so much more sense. Frankie's unusually good looks, her enhanced reflexes and advanced abilities. All the things that always made me so suspicious about her and now I knew why.

"Comrade." Rose croaked, craning her neck to look up at me. She had a sad look in her eyes and I leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

"Do you want to talk about it Milaya?" She scowled an adorable pout and I knew she was annoyed Christian had filled me in. I didn't see why; it only saved her the trouble.

"Talk about what Dimitri? The fact that I saw my not so dead mother tonight, or the fact that the little girl I risked my life to save is actually my crossbred Strigoi half-sister…"

_Well when she put it like that…_

"God, how could I have been so stupid!" she cried, throwing her hands up in the air. She shifted her position in the bed so she could sit up Indian style and face me.

"And what's worse is now I have to admit you were right about Frankie." She added with a grumble.

I couldn't help but laugh at how disgruntled the thought made her.

"Roza there was no way you could have known." I tried to reassure her. She just glared at me in response.

"You knew" she countered, trying and failing to raise her eyebrow.

_Would she ever stop trying that? I seriously hoped not._

"I only knew something was off because I'm suspicious by nature. You Milaya have such a kind heart. You see the best in people, even when they don't deserve it."

She seemed to consider my words for a minute, but in the end she wasn't satisfied.

"Whatever, I still should have seen it. Apparently everyone else did. Even Ivan and Christian and those two are the most unobservant pair I've ever met."

I laughed out loud again earning another deadly glare.

"I'm sorry Milaya." I told her, pulling her body closer to mine for comfort. She laid her delicate head against my shoulder and sighed.

"You know what the worst part is?" she asked sadly. I knew it was a rhetorical question so I just waited for her to continue.

"The worst part is that I'm still worried about her. My mom sent her off somewhere with my dad, saying Victor knew where I was and that I was close to her. She didn't want to see Victor use our bond against us, so she just yanked her out of her life in the middle of the night and shipped her off to some stranger. God, Frankie must be so terrified."

I could hear the desperation in her voice when she spoke of her, and I knew she was going to miss Frankie more than she wanted to admit.

"We could call your father…" I suggested. "Find out where he's taken her."

"Really?" She asked excitedly, pulling back to look at me. For the first time since she'd learned her mother was alive she seemed hopeful.

"Of course we can Roza."

She was looking at me adoringly and that's when I realized she actually believed I would object.

"Roza, she's your little sister and she's scared. Of course we can check on her. It's not like I hated Frankie or anything, I just knew something wasn't entirely right. Truth be told, I love her almost as much as you do." I admitted.

And I'd meant it. Even while I was investigating her, I kept holding out hope that nothing would turn up. That I would be wrong and that sweet little girl could stay a part of mine and Roza's life. Turns out that would be happening now anyway, seeing as how she and Rose were related.

Rose looked at me sweetly for a few seconds longer before pulling my face towards hers and enveloping me in a passionate kiss. When she pulled away breathless she rested her forehead against mine.

"Thank you." She murmured while she regained control of her breathing. "Now hand over my phone."


	23. Chapter 23

**Rose's Point of View**

"_What did you do with my sister old man?"_

_I wasn't in the mood to play games with Abe, and after all the crap I'd been through in the last 24 hours, I was more determined than ever to get my answers. _

"_I see you've talked to your mother." He deflected, trying to buy himself a little time. _

"_Don't try to change the subject Old Man, where is Frankie?" I demanded._

_Despite everything I had learned about her origin's and her real father, I still felt a fierce protectiveness over that little girl, and my concern for her had only grown since I'd come to terms with the fact that were related._

"_Rosemarie, Frankie is fine. Your mother called me the other night and asked me if I could find a safe place for her. She said Victors spies at the academy had learned of the relationship between you two and he was planning on using that against you."_

"_Yeah yeah, I already know all that. What I want to know is where you sent her?" I told him, losing patience with this game of round and round. Between him and my shifty mother, getting a straight answer out of them was like pulling teeth._

"_Why, so you can convince poor Belikov to hop on a plane and take you to her? Who does that help Rosemarie?"_

"_It helps Franke!" I argued. _

_I heard my father let out a disgruntled sigh on the other end of the phone._

"_Dad" I started, hoping the affectionate term might soften him up. "Please, I need to know that she's okay. I know you don't understand it, apparently nobody does. But I love that little girl and I need to know that she's safe. You guys yanked her away from everything she knows in the middle of the night without so much as an explanation. She's only five years old Dad so please!"_

_I hated to beg him for anything, especially given how angry I was with both of my parents right now. But I was willing to do it if it meant I'd get what the information I needed about Frankie._

"_She's at court Rosemarie, attending the academy here within the wards."_

"_She's at Alder?" I asked. _

_I wasn't really sure how he'd pulled that off. Alder was an elite academy that was incredibly small in size. Only the most well connected Royals attended that academy. _

"_She's at Alder…" Abe confirmed. "And I'm guessing within the next 48 hours you will be too." He sighed._

_I smirked a little on my end of the phone. _

_Perhaps he knows me a little better than I thought…_

* * *

><p>When we stepped off the plane at the Courts landing strip, I was surprised to find the Royal Guard waiting for us.<p>

"Lady Mazur, the Queen requests a private audience with you." One of the guardians told me.

I exchanged a wary glance with Dimitri, thinking nothing she could want with me sounded good.

"Go ahead Milaya; I'll get our things settled back at the room." He encouraged.

I wasn't thrilled about the idea of entering the lion's den alone, but given what had happened the last time Tatiana saw Dimitri and I together, I thought it may be for the best. Luckily for me Sophia got to tag along on account of her being my sanctioned Guardian.

I handed over my carry-on bag and leaned up to give Dimitri a chaste kiss on the lips before we parted ways. My eyes trailed after him as long as possible and right before he got into the car he gave me one last encouraging smile.

_God I loved that man._

"What do you think the Queen B wants?" Sophia whispered as we rode in the silent SUV back to court.

"Beats the hell out of me." I answered.

I'd been asking myself the same thing since the Royal Guard had showed up.

"Do you think this is about Dimitri?" Sophia looked at me nervously. Something in my gut told me it wasn't. After my public display of affection at Christmas I had a hard time believing the Queen was willing to open that can of worms again so soon. Thankfully the car ride back to the palace was a short one and I didn't have to wait long before I got some answers.

"Welcome back Rosemarie." Queen Tatianna greeted me when Sophia and I entered the throne room. She was sitting there casually, dressed in a pricey yet elegant blue pantsuit.

"Thank you your Majesty." I was tired from the long flight, but I knew better than to be anything other than the picture of sophistication. Tatianna smiled; clearly pleased I was willing to go along with the usual dog and pony show. With Rose Mazur, one could never be too sure.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I called you here." She announced, and I was grateful she wasn't wasting any time getting to her point.

I nodded my head to let her know to continue.

"It's about Adrian." She replied, and I had to suppress the groan that threatened to escape my lips.

_Seriously, what part of I'm in love with Dimitri wasn't clear?_

"Your Majesty, with all due respect…" I started, but she quickly cut me off.

"I know what you're going to say Rosemarie, and this isn't about you leaving your Dhamphir. I think you've made it quite clear where you stand on that matter." She answered curtly. I knew she was still opposed to it, but at least she wasn't openly condemning me anymore.

"Adrian doesn't know about this, but it's come to my attention that he's been sneaking around with some human girl." The disgust was completely evident in her tone. "He's been gallivanting around Lehigh with this girl as if he doesn't have a care in the world, completely tarnishing his pristine reputation."

I didn't have the heart to tell her that his reputation was anything but pristine. Adrian was a man-whore for lack of a better term, not to mention a womanizer and a drunk.

"I'm sorry Queen Tatianna but what does that have to do with me?" I asked. I wasn't really sure why Adrian's illicit affair affected me any.

"Because Rosemarie, despite your unfortunate feelings for that Dhamphir, you are still the only woman Adrian has ever loved. Now I won't be so bold as to ask you to actually betray your beloved Dhamphir, but I have no calms about asking you to pretend. Fill him in on it if you must, but what I need from you is to seduce Adrian. Let him believe you're willing to give him a chance, and get him to walk away from that dreadful human girl. She's all wrong for him Rose; she doesn't belong in this world."

_Was this bitch for real?_

"Are you insane?" I shrieked. "What kind of terrible human being would ever agree to something like this?"

Her eyes narrowed shrewdly at my tone and accusations. It was out of line to speak to the Queen this way, but I was way too shocked to give a damn about formality. What she was asking of me, it was ludacris. Not only would I never betray Dimitri this way, but leading Adrian on like this would be wrong.

"The kind of person who would like to keep her little Strigoi sister safe…" she replied, smiling smugly when she saw my face fall.

_So that's how my father managed to get Frankie into Alder. He'd done so by the Queen's favor._

"Are you seriously so closed minded that you can't even let your own nephew enjoy a little happiness? So what if the girl he's in love with is a human. Did it slip your mind that's how Dhampirs were created in the first place? Human/Moroi relationships weren't always so taboo you know!"

"Don't presume to lecture me on the history of my own people Rosemarie. I know full well what is and isn't taboo these days, I'm not as old as you may think. But I do know what I'm willing to accept and I'm not willing to accept seeing my great nephew with a human!" She was glaring at me hardly, and any other person probably would have cowered under the pressure.

"Well I suppose that's entirely in your right your Majesty, but don't presume to believe I can be so easily manipulated. I won't compromise my morals, not for you or anyone else. And if you so much as threaten Frankie again I'll make sure Adrian knows all about this little conversation were having…" I glared back.

Tatianna never had any children of her own, so as far as kids go Adrian was the closest thing she had. I knew how she felt about him, and how Adrian would feel if he knew she'd asked me to do this. She may have believed she had the upper hand because of Frankie, but she should have known better than to believe I would roll over so easily.

Frankie might be my little sister, but Dimitri was the love of my life. And if Tatianna made good on her promise to out Frankie, we'd just find some other way to protect her, and we'd do it the same way we do everything; as a team.

"So is that your final answer?" She asked, her face changing to blank and impassive.

"You bet your ass it is." I half growled. This wasn't a conversation I'd ever wanted to have, and thanks to the jet lag I was so completely over it.

"Very well Rosemarie, but don't say I didn't warn you." Her blank mask slipped slightly and I caught a glimpse of a knowing smile underneath.

_What the hell was she up to?_

"And what does that mean?" I spit back, not even trying to disguise my irritation. She looked at me the way an adult looks at a small child before she answered.

"You are so young Rosemarie, and there is so much about the world you don't understand. You think you're in love with that Dhamphir now, but I promise you it's never going to last. Much like Adrian, Lady Ozera has been her affections for that man quite clear. Do you honestly believe she'll just let you ride off into the sunset with what she perceives to believe is hers? She'll fight for him, and when she does, the question is; will you have thrown away your chance at happiness with Adrian?"

I wanted to scream at her, throw something, or chuck a few things against the wall. But I wouldn't do any of that, because in doing so I would be giving her exactly what she wanted. She was preying on my worst fears about Dimitri but I wasn't going to let her know that.

Dimitri and I were together now and we loved each other. We weren't living a secret life at St. Vladimir's, or trying to hide our relationship like a pair of star crossed lovers. We were adults now, who'd made a promise to each other and the world. Tasha could show up and wreak all the havoc she wanted now for all I cared.

Dimitri loved me, and nothing was going to change that now...

Right?


	24. Chapter 24

**Dimitri's Point of View**

I didn't know how long Rose would be stuck entertaining the Queen, but I figured it would be long enough to get in a decent work out. However the second I stepped into the gym I immediately regretted my decision. The moment my eyes locked eyes with Tasha I was ready to turn tail and run.

Maybe I could pretend like I hadn't seen her.

"Dimitri…" she called out, setting down the pair of weights she'd been lifting and glided over.

Well at least she didn't call me Dimka.

"Natasha" I answered formally, trying not to get overly personal with her.

"Do you have a second; I was hoping we could talk…"

I wasn't really sure this was a great idea, but the way she was looking at me seemed so defeated, and once upon a time I had considered Tasha a friend.

"Sure" I replied, dropping my bad and stepping back out into the hall.

Tasha looked around nervously as if she wasn't quite sure what to say.

"Dimitri, I owe you an apology." She started, and I was immediately taken aback. "I've been doing a lot of thinking since the last time I saw you, and I as much as it kills me to say this, I was wrong. I was wrong about us, and about your feelings for Rose."

_Was she serious?_

"Look, I'm not going to pretend like I don't still have feelings for you, I probably always will. But I know how you feel about Rose now, and I'm not going to try and stand in the way of that. You know, I accused Rose of being a child but I'm the one that's been acting immature. I was being selfish and I'm sorry. I know you probably don't believe me given the way I behaved, but I really would like it if we could still be friends…" she concluded, looking at me hopefully.

I searched her face trying to find some sign of deception there, but I found none.

"Of course we can be friends Tasha." I told her smiling. Truth be told, I had missed my friend.

"Great!" she squealed, jumping up and wrapping her arms tightly around my neck. I chuckled a little at her exuberance and she seemed to realize the mistake she'd made. "Whoops, sorry." She apologized, releasing me from her death grip.

"Well, I should get back to my workout." I told her. "Rose will be back soon."

"Yeah of course." She smiled. "See you around Dimka."

I watched as she sauntered back over to the weights and was relieved at least one thing in my life had finally worked itself out.

* * *

><p>When I got back from the gym later Rose was acting funny.<p>

"Is everything alright Milaya, you've been quiet all night…" I didn't want to press her for information about the Queen, but something told me whatever was bothering her had something to do with that.

"I'm fine." She replied softly, climbing into her side of the bed. I knew she wasn't fine and if she said it one more time I thought I might strangle her.

"Rose, talk to me." I ordered, using my mentor voice. I knew how much she hated when I did that and she showed me just how much when her eyes narrowed a few seconds later.

"Dimitri there's nothing to talk about!" she sighed in exasperation. "I'm jet lagged and the Queen's a bitch okay! Can you drop it now?"

I wanted to press her further, but something told me to think better of it. She seemed a little too hostile right now to be reasonable, and I knew better than to poke the bear with a stick.

The next day I decided to seek out Sophia.

Rose was busy in the shower so I had a few minutes to sneak next door and find out what Sophia knew. She was in the meeting with the Queen; surely she had some idea what Rose's mood was all about.

"Hey Sophia, do you have a second?" I asked when she opened the door. She gave me a cold look that I didn't quite understand but she nodded.

"What's up she asked?" In the background I could hear Ivan singing loudly in the shower. I smiled at his antics before returning my attention to Sophia.

"Did something happen with Rose yesterday? She's been acting funny ever since we got back to court."

Sophia gave me that same cold look I didn't understand before she let out a ridiculously loud sigh.

"How was your work out yesterday Dimitri?"

I didn't miss the sarcasm that laced her tone.

"It was fine…" I answered cautiously, trying to understand where she was going with this.

"Really?" she asked snidely. "Nothing excited happened? You didn't run into anyone?"

_Did I run into anyone….Damn it. _

_Tasha._

Sophia must have seen it the moment I understood because she scoffed.

"Rose saw you hugging Tasha, and after all the shit the Queen B was spitting yesterday, let's just say that didn't do you any favors."

"It wasn't what it looked like I told her." And she snorted.

"Yeah, it never is Dimitri…"

"Sophia I'm serious!" I nearly shouted.

I was vaguely aware Ivan's concert was over in the background.

"Well don't tell me, tell Rose!" she shouted back.

"What's going on in here?" Ivan asked, stepping out of the foggy bathroom. He was running a towel through his shoulder length blond hair and looking confused between the two of us.

"Rose saw Dimitri with Tasha yesterday." Sophia interjected, shooting me a death glare.

"Dude, seriously?" Ivan asked rolling his eyes.

"I ran into her at the gym and she apologized!' I shouted, trying to defend myself.

_Did this people seriously have such little faith in me?_

"And let me guess, she told you she just wants to be friends right?" Sophia asked pointedly.

"Yes!" I told her, still not understanding the look she was given me.

"Damnit D, and you fell for that?" Ivan asked, shaking his sopping wet hair. "The chicks been in love with you for years, and you think one well-rehearsed apology and you two can just go back to being best friends. Be serious dude."

Was it possible that Tasha had been playing me? I didn't want to believe that, but then I wouldn't put it past her.

"Look Dimitri, Rose is in a vulnerable place right now. She's scared, confused and just had her whole world shaken up. The only solid thing she has in her life right now is you, and right now she needs to know that. She needs to know you aren't going anywhere and the sooner you make her realize that the better."

Looking at Sophia now I knew she was right. Rose had been through so much lately and the last thing she needed was to be questioning my loyalty. I love Rose, and nothing in this world was going to change that. Now I just needed to figure out the right way to show her…

* * *

><p><strong>Rose's Point of View<strong>

"Roza!" Frankie cried, throwing her tiny little arms around my neck. I didn't realize just how much I'd missed her until I was holding her in my arms.

"Hey Squirt, how's the new school?" I asked, trying to keep my tone light.

I knew this whole thing must be so confusing for her and I was doing my best to make everything seem normal.

"It's weird." She told me wrinkling up her nose. "And small."

I laughed at her unusual comment and she smiled.

"Where's Dimka?" She asked, looking around for her favorite 6'7 Russian. I had been hoping that Dimitri would come along to see Frankie with us, but when I got out of the shower, he'd made up some lame excuse about something Ivan needed him to do. I was trying very hard not to let Tatianna get to me, but after the things she'd said yesterday and seeing Dimitri getting friendly with Tasha it was kind of hard not to be suspicious.

"He's spending the day with Ivan, but don't worry sweetie, I'm sure he'll see you soon." I told her, trying not to let my own discomfort show.

"Did Lissa and Christian come too?" She asked excitedly at the idea. I chuckled again before nodding.

"Yep. The gangs all here!"

"Yay!" She cheered, throwing her little arms back around my neck.

For the rest of the afternoon, I answered the 801 questions Frankie had about her sudden relocation, trying my hardest not to let her know anything was wrong. I knew Abe and Janine weren't thrilled I'd followed her here. They'd insisted that Victor could have spies everywhere and that if he found out we were back together, then moving Frankie half way across the world would have been for nothing. But Frankie was just a child, and the last thing she needed right now was to be alone. Maybe my parent's had never had any qualms about abandoning small children to the academy, but I wasn't about to do the same thing to my own sister.

"She seems okay." Sophia commented as we made our way back to guest housing.

"She does, thank God! The last thing we need right now is an agitated Frankie. According to Dimitri's research, stress makes her a little...unpredictable."

"Mhmmmm…." Was Sophia's only genius remark. I suppose that was normal. What do you really say to your best friend about her half-bred Strigoi sister's crappy temper?

When we got back to the room, I half expected to find Dimitri sitting on the bed reading a novel, but instead I was treated to a romantic surprise.

Scattered around the room was a couple vases of white lilies, something Dimitri knew was my favorite. On the bed was a garment bag and a note, and when I looked back at Sophia she had a shit eating grin on her face.

"What the hell is all this?" I asked accusingly. She knew how upset I'd been about Dimitri all day; the least she could have done was warn me.

"Turns out Dimitri's not as big a bastard as I thought." She told me with a wink. She walked over to the bed to retrieve the small note he'd left behind and handed it to me.

_Roza my love,_

_I thought you deserved a special night out. Meet me in the lobby at 7. _

_Love Dimitri_

"Did you know about?" I asked, shooting a hard glare at Sophia. She was just about to answer when I heard a sharp rap on the door. She quickly opened it to reveal an overly excited Lissa.

"The beauty ambulance has arrived!" she squealed, holding up her giant case of cosmetics.

"Seriously?" I asked looking between the two of them. "Did everyone know about this except for me?"

"Yup." Lissa announced, making sure to pop her P. I laughed out right at her obvious attempt to annoy me.

I didn't have the faintest clue as to what Dimitri was up to, but after the week I'd been having I think I was game for anything.


	25. Chapter 25

**Dimitri's Point of View**

My palms were sweating as I stood in the lobby waiting for Rose. I knew I shouldn't be nervous, I had never been more sure about anything in my entire life. But as the minutes ticked by, I found my finger instinctively tracing patterns over the small velvet box in my pocket.

**_*Flashback*_**

"_You think I'm crazy don't you?" I asked Ivan as we wandered aimlessly around the jewelry shop. _

_After my conversation with Sophia, I knew I needed to do something drastic. I loved Rose more than anything in this world, and I wanted to make certain that she knew that. Tasha could make passes at me until she was blue in the face but my heart would never stray away from Rose._

"_Nah man, I get it. Carpe Scrotum dude; you're seizing life by the nad's." Ivan told me as he further inspected the ring he was looking at._

_I chuckled lightly in response before returning my attention back to the search._

_We'd been looking for what felt like hours for the perfect ring, and according to Ivan I was being entirely too picky. I know to some people a ring is just a ring, but this was the ring the woman I loved would wear for the rest of our lives, and I wanted it to be worthy of the woman wearing it. I was nearly ready to give up when I spotted it. _

_It was sitting there in the glass display case, and it was like nothing I had ever seen._

_The band itself was made entirely of diamonds that delicately criss crossed around the base and in the center was an intricately placed lotus flower also made completely out of diamonds. It was exotic and unique, and exactly like Rose._

"_This is it." I murmured and Ivan came over to investigate. _

"_Not bad my friend, not bad." Ivan agreed, motioning the jeweler over to the counter. _

_The ring itself cost more than I made in a year, but the longer I stared at it, the more certain I became that ring was made for Roza's finger. Of course I knew I'd never be able to afford it and It was times like this I really hated how little I could give her._

"_Will you just take the money already?" Ivan insisted for the 50__th__ time, still trying to convince me to take the loan he was offering._

"_Ivan, I already told you, that's very generous offer but I can't accept."_

"_Come on D, you're my best friend, and that's the ring dude. That ring was made for Rose."_

_He had no idea how right he was. Unfortunately for me, that did little to change my mind. Ivan already paid me a generous salary, much more than most guardians received and I wasn't willing to accept anyone's charity. I had my pride to maintain. _

_After a bit more sulking on his part, Ivan finally accepted and even attempted to seem happy about the more reasonable ring I purchased. It was still a beautiful ring, but it just didn't scream Rose like the other one. I made arrangements to pick up the ring later that afternoon once it had been sized. And thanks to Lissa, we didn't need Rose to know what size to get. _

"_Why don't you let me pick it up for you?" Ivan asked as we were walking back to guest housing. "You've got a lot of stuff to set up for tonight, and this will give you one less thing to worry about."_

_I didn't see the harm in that and gladly accepted, and a few frantic hours later, everything was set._

**_*End Flashback*_**

When Rose appeared at the top of the steps, my nearly stopped beating in my chest.

She looked magnificent, breathtaking, and every bit the goddess that she truly was. All my previous fears and concerns melted away the moment I saw her.

She was gliding gracefully down the slender staircase wearing a beautiful satin red gown that brought out the best in her olive colored complexion. Her dark brown curls were flowing loose and free around her face and when her eyes met mine, her smile lit up the room.

_God she was beautiful._

The moment she was close enough to do so, I had her in my arms.

"Nice suit Comrade." She murmured softly against my lips.

I blushed slightly at her comment, feeling completely out of place in such an expensive outfit.

"You look beautiful Milaya." I told her, trying to take the attention off of myself. She laughed in response and I knew she knew what I was doing. I'd never been comfortable having the attention on me.

She seemed to sense that and instead pulled me closer for another passionate kiss; one that was probably a little too provocative for such a public setting.

"Shall we?" she asked after we finally pulled apart for air.

I looked tenderly down into her beautiful brown eyes and I knew I had never been more ready for anything in my life.

* * *

><p><strong>Rose's Point of View<strong>

From the moment I stepped off the staircase and into Dimitri's arm this night had been perfect.

We strolled casually around court hand in hand, completely oblivious to all the stares and whispers surrounding us. It was the first time since Christmas dinner that we'd made such a public spectacle of ourselves but what did I care. I was simply enjoying a romantic evening with the wonderful man I loved.

Dimitri had been very secretive about this whole evening; from the mysterious flowers in my room, to where he was taking me for dinner. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but the greenhouse at court certainly wasn't it.

**_*Flashback*_**

_As a child, the greenhouse at court had always been one of my favorite places. _

_After my mother had "died" I had been nearly inconsolable. It wasn't so much that I missed her, because in truth, I hardly knew her at all. My parents had never really been very hands on, not the way Lissa's parents were. But once she was gone, I started to realize that nothing in life was permanent. Up until then, I had always believed that like the flowers that came every spring and left every fall, people would always return to us the same way._

_Loosing my mother had changed all that._

_It was just around February when I was 8 years old and Rhea woke me early one morning._

"_Where are we going?" I asked, as she bundled me up in the usual winter wear._

"_It's a surprise." She winked, tucking my hair tightly under my hat. _

_We didn't wake anyone before we left and I was happy to have the alone time with Rhea. Ever since my mother's death, she'd taken on the maternal role in my life and it was hard not to enjoy all the new love and attention. _

_When we arrived at the greenhouse, she led me quietly inside. All around me there were flowers in bloom; every size, shape and color, from the generic to the exotic and everything in-between. It was breathtaking and wondrous, and I'd never seen anything like it. _

"_What are all these flowers doing here?" I asked confused. "It's winter. Flowers go away in the winter."_

_My eight year old mine couldn't understand the possibility, but Rhea just smiled at me fondly._

"_Come here Rose." She told me, taking a seat on a set of benches in the middle. The greenhouse itself was enormous and there were several areas placed about for sitting and relaxing, so one could enjoy the view. _

_I climbed onto the bench beside her and she pulled me gently onto her lap._

"_This" she said, gesturing around the structure "Is a very special place. It's a magical place where beautiful things go to live." My little eyes widened at the possibility and I waited for her to go on._

"_Rose, I know how confused you must be. A lot has happened lately, and I know that it seems like everything in your life is changing. Your mommy went away and now your daddy has too. But I want you to know something; even if it feels like they are far away, they are never farther than your heart. You see much like this place, your heart is a magical place too. You can put all the things you love in there, and when you do they will live forever, all you have to do is believe."_

_After that day, the greenhouse sort of became my sanctuary. Every time I started to miss my parents, or when things felt like_ _they were changing to quickly, I would come to the greenhouse and feel like all was right in the world. _

*End Flashback*

Being back here now I got that same feeling.

"I remember you telling me once how much this place means to you." Dimitri whispered from beside me. His large hand was clasped tightly around mine, and I could feel the tears stinging behind my eyes.

"You remembered that?" I asked, turning to gaze at the wonderfully sentimental man next to me.

"I remember everything about you Milaya." His smile was so full and genuine that I thought my heart might burst with love. With the way he was looking at me now, I couldn't believe I had ever been so foolish as to believe he would ever let someone like Tasha come between us.

Without any more thinking, I quickly closed the distance between us. My arms would tightly around his neck, as he own arms went to wind around my waist. He pulled my body closer to his, pressing gently against the small of my back. When his tongue traced my lower lip I gladly granted him entrance and reveled in the feeling of his mouth moving with mine.

_God I love this man!_

The kissing was just getting good when my stomach had to go and ruin everything. With a deep and embarrassing grumble, it loudly made its needs known.

Dimitri just chuckled softly at the sound.

"Perhaps would should pick this up again later." He murmured since I was unwilling to relinquish my hold on his lips. In this moment all I wanted was to feel him, but as usual my stomach wouldn't be ignored.

"Fine." I grumbled, reluctantly letting go of my death hold.

Dimitri laughed again at my antics before leading me over to an elaborately decorated table. The furniture in the greenhouse had been rearranged and in its place was a small romantic setting.

"What's all this?" I asked, eyeing the candles and silver platters that covered our food.

"Just part of your surprise." He smirked confidently.

_Damn that man was sexy._

"Part of my surprise?" I asked curiously, not missing what he'd implied. "As in there will be more surprises?"

I tried and failed to raise one eyebrow and as usual Dimitri just laughed.

"Roza Milaya, tonight will be full of surprises."


	26. Chapter 26

**Rose's Point of View**

"Aren't they beautiful?" I asked, leaning my head against Dimitri's strong shoulder.

One of my favorite things about the garden greenhouse was the small pond that was built in the center and the pair of swans who had made it their home. They were such majestic creatures, and I loved to watch the way they glided effortlessly across the water's surface.

"Yes…" Dimitri answered, pressing a gentle kiss against my temple. "But not as beautiful as you."

_What a sap…_

I smiled, and tried not to roll my eyes at his corny compliment.

Everything about tonight had been amazing. The setting was perfect, the greenhouse was in full bloom, the dinner was exquisite and the company was divine.

Tonight was exactly the kind of night I'd needed with Dimitri and I loved him immensely for knowing that.

"How do you feel about a walk?" He asked, and I noticed a mysterious glint in his eyes.

"Would this walk happen to involve more surprises?"

I was dying to know what else he had in store for me.

"Perhaps…" He mused, moving to stand and extending his hand out to help me. I took it gladly and kissed him chastely before we were on our way.

The quiet winter night was the perfect setting for a romantic stroll.

By now most of the hustle and bustle of court had died down, and it was nearly time for the sun to rise.

Unlike our earlier walk around court, there wasn't anybody around to gawk this time and for that I was grateful. Dimitri was up to something, I could feel it in my bones, and the last thing I wanted was an audience.

When we reached the wishing fountain at the center of court Dimitri slowed down a bit. Much like the greenhouse, the fountain was another one of my favorite places, and I got the feeling Dimitri was working a theme here.

"Are we on the official Rose Mazur tour of special places?" I asked, curious to know what he was up to.

He smiled an angelic smile before leading me over to another bench.

"Are you complaining?" He questioned lightly, taking the seat beside me on the bench.

There was a frigid chill in the February air, but snuggled closely into Dimitri's side, it didn't bother me.

"Nope." I replied, popping the P sound for good measure.

He rolled his eyes, but still smiled.

For a while we sat in companionable silence, just enjoying each other's company before he spoke.

"You know, with everything going on lately, I thought revisiting your favorite places might be a nice reminder."

"A reminder of what?" I asked, turning my head slightly to look at him. Something in the tone of his voice had caught my attention.

"That not everything changes."

His face looked so severe with emotion that for some reason my stomach started knotting in anticipation. He shifted his whole body so he could face me directly and the feeling intensified.

"Roza, from the moment I first met you, I knew you would change my life. I can't tell you the exact moment when I knew I loved you, but I can tell you the exact moment when I knew I couldn't live without you. It was the very first morning I woke up after leaving you at the academy. I looked out the window of my old childhood home, and somehow the world just seemed a bit darker. The sun didn't shine as brightly, the wind didn't feel as cool on my face, and the smell of my mother's cooking didn't smell like home anymore. I had lost my true love and that realization hit me like a sack of bricks. Roza…when I walked away from you the first time, my whole life ceased to exist. It was like I was half a person, walking around in an incomplete state. Being with you again now, I feel whole again, I feel like I'm home, and I know now that I could never bear to be apart from you again."

He looked at me with such intensity that if I wasn't sitting I would have staggered under his heavy gaze.

And then he took my smaller hand in his and got down on one knee.

_Oh my God…_

"I love you Milaya." He said with absolute clarity. "And fifty years from now I will still be loving you just as fiercely as I do right now. I learned long ago that my world doesn't work without you in it, and I know with the utmost certainty that I never want to face another morning like that without you. Say yes to me Milaya, say you'll marry me and that I'll never have to…"

I tore my eyes away from his milk chocolate pools and down to the small velvet box in his hand. I noticed it was trembling a bit and if I hadn't been so shocked I would have laughed at the thought that he could even remotely believe I might not say yes.

He lifted the small lid on the box to reveal what could only be described as the most magnificent piece of jewelry I had ever seen, and the tears that had been building in my eyes throughout his speech began to run freely down my face.

I looked back up at him to find his handsome face staring back at me with such love and adoration that I was certain my heart would burst. I loved this man like I'd never loved anyone, and I didn't care that I was only 19 and I didn't care that the world would never approve. I looked deeply into Dimitri's eyes, and I knew that I was home.

"Yes." I whispered, laughing at little as the shock flashed across his face.

"Yes?" he repeated as if his mind was somehow playing tricks on him.

_Did he seriously think I'd say anything else?_

"Yes!" I repeated a little louder now fully smiling. "Yes I will marry you!"

I wiggled my little finger to let him know that it was missing something, and when he reached inside the box for a second I thought I saw a look of surprise. However whatever emotion I saw was gone as quickly as it came and a few seconds later the ring found its place onto my finger, where I fully intended for it to stay for all eternity.

* * *

><p><strong>Dimitri's Point of View<strong>

She said yes!

I still couldn't believe it.

We were lying in bed, wrapped in each other's arms, and the only thing on Roza's naked body was that ring.

_I was going to kill Ivan for that by the way…_

I suppose I should have expected as much when he offered to pick up the ring. He wasn't the type to give up so easily. But seeing the way Rose kept marveling at it, I was glad he'd made that decision. This ring, no matter how elaborately priced, was the only ring that was meant to adorn Roza's perfect fingers.

Speaking of the ring, Rose was currently wiggling her finger and admiring it right now.

"Do you like it Milaya?"

It was a silly question; I could tell she was in love.

"It's perfect Comrade….although I could kill you for spending so much money on this!" She chastised slapping my chest playfully.

"You are more than worth it." I told her, bringing her hand to my lips and kissing it.

We hadn't talked much since we'd rushed back to the room in a hurry. We were far too busy "celebrating" to anything else.

A small part of me felt guilty about not having discussed this with her father first. Traditionally it was good form to ask for a daughters hand in marriage. But nothing about Rose's relationship with her father was traditional and I had a sinking suspicion she would have been furious if I had gone to him first about this.

"How does my father feel about all this?" she asked with a hint of bitterness in her tone.

_What was she, a mind reader?_

"I wouldn't know." I told her honestly, and she stopped tracing patterns on my chest to sit up and look at me.

"You mean you didn't ask his permission first?"

I shook my head no.

For half a heartbeat I thought she was angry about it, but then a full beautiful smile graced her face and suddenly she was laughing.

"Did you want me to?" I asked which caused the laughter to momentarily stop.

"Hell no!" She replied shaking her head strongly. "I'm just surprised is all. You're usually so old fashioned about these sorts of things. Remember how uptight you were about taking my virginity." She chuckled and I tried not to blush at the memory.

I really had been so nervous about that.

"He won't' be happy about this Comrade…"

The reminder only served to point out one other obstacle I'd been trying desperately to ignore.

"Yeah well I suppose he can in line with everyone else."

I wasn't so foolish as to believe anyone outside of our small circle of friends would be happy about this. We were an unconventional pair, something people felt it was important to remind us of every chance they got.

Rose's warm brown eyes softened as she saw the sadness behind mine.

"Hey, love conquers all Comrade. Look at Helen and Paris…did they let anything come between them?"

_I wasn't really sure where she was going with the Greek mythology reference…_

"Um…didn't they start the Trojan war and get 1000's of people killed?" I asked, and her eyes narrowed slightly at my sarcasm.

"That's not the point Comrade. They followed their hearts and said the hell with everyone else!"

I knew what she was trying to say and I loved her for it.

Pulling her back into my arms I kissed her softly, tucking a loose piece of hair back behind her ear.

Okay Milaya, point taken. I just wish it wasn't so difficult for us to be together. I want to give you things, not take things away. I want to make your life easier not…"

"Hey" she cut me off with a kiss. "This...you…." she said trailing her finger along my bare chest. "You are the only thing I'll ever need. I love you Dimitri and the rest of it will work itself out."

I wasn't quite sure I believed her, but in that moment I didn't really care.

Rose loved me and she was going to be my wife. The rest of the world could wait, because in this one moment, we were happy and I fully intended to enjoy. Pulling her lips fiercely back to mine, we picked up celebrating where we left off and continued to celebrate well into the night.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys, I hope that lived up to everyone's expectations. I didn't want it to be too sappy, but it was kind of hard not to. As for the ring, I uploaded a picture of it on my profile if you want to check it out. It was kind of hard to explain in writing. Anyway, review and let me know if you liked it. Thanks! : )<strong>


	27. Chapter 27

**Rose's Point of View**

"Are you ready for this?" Dimitri asked?

We'd been hiding out in our bedroom for the last two days, trying to enjoy our engagement bubble for as long as possible.

Unfortunately for us, it was time to reemerge.

We'd been summoned to breakfast by the Queen B herself and if she hadn't heard the news of our engagement yet she was about to.

With an unsteady nod, Dimitri took a hold of my shaky hand and we confidently entered the breakfast hall.

"Ahh Good Morning Rosemarie."

_Great, when did he get back into town?_

"Old Man." I said curtly.

If he thought I was so going to get over his recent deception so easily he was sadly mistaken. The man lied to me about my mother being alive for 12 years….that isn't something you just forgive overnight.

"I see you're still sour over this business with your mother…" he replied dryly, looking at Dimitri as if he were somehow supposed to help him out.

"Don't look at him!" I half shouted. "Dimitri's on my side, not yours."

Abe looked amused by my little outburst, but didn't say anything. Instead he just held up his hands in a gesture of surrender with a chuckle.

"My apologies daughter. Of course your fiancé would side with you on this matter."

_Who the hell told him?_

He must have found the shock on my face comical because he laughed.

"You forget Rosemarie, Pavel may be guarding you, but he still works for me."

I shot a glance across the room at my Turkish jailer and at least he had the decency to look a little embarrassed.

"Is that what brought you back to court then Old Man?

I really didn't care what brought him back to court; I just wanted to get this conversation over with. Whatever his reasons, they were irrelevant to me. I didn't want him here and he certainly wasn't welcome.

"You didn't actually believe I'd let you face the firing squad alone did you? The Queen won't be happy when she hears about this." He said, gesturing to the sparkly new diamond on my left hand finger.

"Abe, you've been leaving me alone to face the firing squad my whole life. Besides, I'm not alone in this anymore, I have Dimitri."

His eyes grew hard at the reminder of his habitual abandonment but he thought better of trying to argue with me about it.

"Well no matter; I'm here now; for moral support….only should you need it of course."

I was just about to tell him I didn't when the trumpets blared, alerting everyone in the breakfast hall of Tatianna's arrival.

Long live the Queen B….

* * *

><p>"What the hell was that?" I asked, slamming the door closed behind me.<p>

I had spent the last few days bracing myself for the wrath of Tatianna and then the woman goes and offers to throw me an engagement party?

"It was creepy, that's what." Sophia chimed in, flopping down on the bed beside me.

Ivan's parents were in town looking for properties at court so Dimitri was currently busy playing shadow. Sophia had offered to go in his place, but I felt bad about monopolizing all of Dimitri's time lately.

So here we were, me, Liss and Sophia, hanging out in my guest quarters trying to decipher Tatianna's hidden agenda.

"Maybe she really is just coming around on the idea…" Lissa offered.

_Poor, sweet, naïve Lissa. That girl was always looking for the best in people._

"Not likely Liss. She's definitely up to something."

"Are you going to let her throw the party?" Sophia asked skeptically.

_As if I really had a choice._

"Soph, she's the ruler of the Moroi world; it's not exactly like I can say no to something like this."

The whole idea sounded horrifying. Who knew what Tatianna was really up to and I wasn't in any hurry to find out. Dimitri and I were happy and in love. I just wanted to enjoy this time as a newly engaged couple, not spend my time trying to unravel her nefarious schemes.

"Well you should say no Rose! Something about this just smells funny…"

I knew Sophia was right, but what choice did I have?

The Queen had made her wishes clear, and the best we could do now was prepare for the worst…

* * *

><p><strong>Dimitri's Point of View<strong>

"Guardian Belikov, I hear congratulations are in order."

We were currently walking around a newly renovated townhouse at court with Ivan's parents.

"Thank you Lord Zelekos."

I still was uncomfortable discussing my personal life with other people, but I suppose if I planned on marrying a Royal Moroi, I'd better get used to added attention.

"Lady Mazur is quite beautiful; you certainly are a lucky man. Tell me…how does her father feel about all this?" Ivan's father continued to prod.

I tried not to take offense; I knew it was a valid question.

Part of me couldn't help but wonder how he would feel if he knew about Ivan and Sophia.

"Prince Mazur has been quite welcoming actually. He fully supports Rose and my decision." I told him, hoping that would be the end of it.

But it wasn't.

"Well that's good. And here I thought he was still holding out hope for Rose and the Queen's nephew. Did you hear he's back at court now?"

I hadn't heard and I wasn't happy to hear about it now.

I knew it was silly to even be worried about it. Rose and I were engaged now. We loved each other and were committed to this marriage. Adrian was no longer a threat to me, but that didn't mean I wanted the guy hanging around.

"Dad, stop being such a gossip!" Ivan chastised, coming to slap him gently on the back. "Besides, Adrian's got nothing on Dimitri, trust me. One look at Rose and D together and you'll see why."

Ivan looked between his parents smugly and winked.

It was times like this is was truly grateful to have such a good charge and friend.

* * *

><p>"Don't worry about them" Ivan told me later when we were alone.<p>

As pleasant as his parent's had tried to behave this afternoon, their disapproval had been clear. They no more approved of a Dhamphir/Moroi marriage than anyone else. Too bad they didn't know there might be one in their future as well.

"Are you ever going to tell them about Sophia?" I asked, not really sure myself on where Ivan stood about that. I knew he was crazy about her, that much was obvious.

He looked at me slightly guilty before he answered.

"Does it make me a terrible person if I want to wait until I get my trust fund? I mean I graduate in 3 months, and after that they can't touch me."

I laughed a little at his logic, but it made sense...

Later that night as Rose drifted off to sleep; I couldn't help but recall the last conversation I'd had with Eric Dragomir. It was just before I left the academy and it had been weighing on my mind quite a lot lately.

_***Flashback***_

_I was waiting on the tarmac when Eric Dragomir had pulled up. I knew how close he was to Rose, and I looking at him now was just another reminder of the woman I was so foolishly leaving behind._

_ I tried to turn away and direct my attention else but when he started walking over it was clear he had come here to see me._

"_You're making a mistake Dimitri."_

_I was completely shocked, by the words and the lack of formality. _

_Eric was a prince and the last patriarch of the Dragomir line. He was a good man, a kind man, and in the I'd come to know him I had grown to respect him as well._

_ Like Rose, he didn't treat Dhampirs like manual labor, he treated us like people, and something told me he'd played a part in shaping Roses world views._

"_I know you think she's better off without you, but she's not. Take it from someone who knows Rose, this will only hurt her more. That girl has suffered enough for one lifetime….please don't do this."_

_I wanted to tell him he was wrong, I wanted to deny that there was anything between us. But that wouldn't have made any difference. One good look at him and I could tell he'd never believe it._

"_Prince Dragomir, after everything that happened in Spokane, how can you still believe that? Mason died because of the complications my life brought into hers. She'll never say as much right now, but we both know she'll grow to resent me for that."_

_Eric shook his head at me the way an adult would a small child._

"_If you really believe that, then you don't really know Rose at all…She's stronger then you're giving her credit for her, and if you stick around you'll see that."_

_I wanted to believe him, more than anything. I was standing on this tarmac wishing something, anything, had the power to change my mind, but nothing could, because this wasn't just about Mason. It was about Adrian and the life Rose was supposed to have. The life she would have once I was gone. _

"_She'll be better off without me Sir. What kind of life could I possibly give her? I'm a Dhamphir, she's a Royal Moroi. Being with me would only complicate things….she deserves more than that."_

_Eric looked deeply into my eyes before he answered. _

"_She deserves love son. And if you don't really feel that way then by all means, get on that plane. Go back to Russia and start your life over without her. But if you love her son, if you truly love her, then stay. Stay and fight for her, and show her that she's worth fighting for. I guarantee you'll regret it if you don't."_

_He didn't stick around to wait for my answer, and maybe if he had things would have been different. But he got back in his car, and the moment he was out of sight, his words lost some of their earlier conviction. All my previous fears and doubts crept back to the surface and when the plane doors opened, I made the biggest mistake of my life; I got on that plane._

_***End Flashback***_

I hadn't stayed to fight for her then, but I would fight for her now.

Eric had been right all along, and not a day has gone by when I haven't regretted that terrible decision. I'd wasted two years of my life without Rose; two years we could never get back...

I knew how people felt about this marriage and I was under no illusions that anyone would ever really accept this. But I'd made the biggest mistake of my life letting go of Rose once, and as I looked at her beautiful sleeping form next to me, I knew I'd never make the same mistake again.


	28. Chapter 28

**Rose's Point of View**

Knock Knock Knock

_Ugh. Who could be calling for me this early?_

I rolled over to make Dimitri answer the door, and was disappointed to find the bed void of a naked Russian.

_What a terrible way to wake up…_

I dragged myself out of bed and across the room to silence the offensive sound that had woke me, but when I opened the door, my irritation was replaced with shock.

Standing in front of me was a mess of brown hair and those emerald green eyes I knew so well.

"Is it true?" he asked, pushing past me and into the room.

_What the hell!_

"Adrian, do you have any idea what time it is?" I asked, my shock wearing off and returning to irritation.

_Who did he think he was showing up like this?_

"Its 6:30, now answer the question Rose. Is it true?"

I could have been kind and just answered; I knew exactly what he was asking. But the man stormed in here at 6:30 in the morning making demands and I wasn't exactly feeling friendly at the moment.

"You're going to have to be more specific." I told him, walking over to the kitchenette to pour a cup of coffee. Something told me I was going to need it.

"Cut the crap Rose! Are you marrying him or not?"

_Wow. I can't remember the last time Adrian called me Rose. It was always Little Fireball or Flower._

For the first time since he arrived, I took a good hard look at his face and my heart wrenched a little at the desperation I found there.

Despite Tatianna's claims that he was madly in love with some human girl, I knew this news would be difficult for him to take.

"Yes Adrian….it's true." I finally admitted, and his face sank at my omission.

For half a second I wanted to cross the distance between us and wrap him in a hug. He might be a pain in the ass and a womanizer, but he had been there for me when I'd really needed him, and I never meant to cause him any pain.

Of course, two seconds later he returned to his usual asshole form and I was over it.

"You realize this is ridiculous right? In what world do you think my Aunt will ever be okay with this?"

"In what world do I care if your aunt is every okay with this?" I shot back.

It was true, what did I care what other people think? Hadn't I made that much perfectly clear?

"Rose…" Adrian started exasperated. "Look, I know you care about the guy, but this is your future we're talking about. You may not be able to see this right now, but the choices you are making now will affect your entire life! You're a possible contender for the Throne with Tatianna retires; do you really want to give all that up?"

_What was wrong with these people? Did they not understand how little I cared for Moroi politics?_

"I don't care about the throne Adrian, I care about Dimitri! And by the way, since when do you give a crap what other people think? Last I heard you were more than willing to go against the grain with that human girl."

His eyes hardened at me and his tone turned harsh.

"That's different and you know it! I'm the drunken great nephew of the Queen; people expect this kind of crap from me. But you…your father and the Dragomir's have been grooming you to be a leader you're entire life and now you're just going to throw it all away? And for what…love?"

"Yes!" I shouted. "I love him Adrian. I love him and he's worth it. Now unless you have something new to say, kindly get the hell out!"

I wasn't in the mood to defend myself right now, and there wasn't enough coffee in Colombia to deal with Adrian this early in the morning.

I could tell he wanted to argue with me further, but he didn't. Instead he just snorted before slamming the door shut behind him.

Falling back to sleep after Adrian left had been a lot harder than I thought.

I knew what he said shouldn't have bothered me, but it did and bringing the Dragomir's into it had only added to that guilt.

Growing up Eric had always encouraged me to stand up for myself. I was outspoken by nature, and he promised that it would serve me well in life. He'd told me the one thing all good leaders had in common was the strength to stand up for what they believed in. That as long as I stayed true to myself, I'd become a great leader myself someday.

I'd never had an interest in this politics growing up and little had happened to change that now. But a small part of me couldn't help but think about what I was giving up, and if Eric would be disappointed in me now?

* * *

><p><strong>Unknown Point of View<strong>

Everything was set.

The party was planned, the invitations were sent, and now all I had to do was wait.

I knew most people wouldn't understand this…how could they? This went against everything we fought for, everything we believed in.

But this was about business now… nothing personal. And as long as I kept telling myself that, everything would be okay.

This was the right thing to do…for everyone.

And now I just needed to see it through...


	29. Chapter 29

**Dimitri's Point of View**

I was starting to get worried.

It wasn't unusual for Rose to be late, but this was extreme, even for her.

"Relax man; I'm sure she's fine. Here…why don't I call Sophia…" Ivan offered.

I had already tried Rose five time's and got nothing but if he thought it would help then I'd let him. Maybe he would have better luck with Sophia.

I watched as he dialed, waiting impatiently for some sign that she picked up on the other end. But several minutes passed and my earlier sense of dread returned.

"Something's not right Ivan…I can feel it."

If he wanted to argue, he didn't show it.

"Alright man, you're the boss. You've got the nose for this kind of thing so if you say something's wrong, then something's wrong. Now what are we going to do about it."

I had a feeling he was just placating me. I'm sure he thought we'd just walk over to Frankie's campus where the girls were supposed to be and find they had some perfectly practical excuse for running behind.

But I knew better…and 20 minutes later I proved as much.

Even before we saw Frankie's half cracked bedroom door, I just knew.

I knew what I would find, or rather what I wouldn't: and that was Rose.

The first thing I notice upon entering the small dorm room was the obvious struggle.

The second thing I noticed was Sophia. She was lying face down on the floor with a large pool of blood surrounding her head. If not for the slight heaving of her chest I would have thought she was dead.

Ivan was at her side in seconds.

I can't really explain the way I was feeling in that moment, but it was as if my body was no longer connected to my head. I was acting without even thinking, taking out my cellphone and making all the appropriate calls. I knew what needed to be done, even if my own mind was locked away in some small part of it's own grief.

A couple of minutes later the room was a flurry of activity.

"Belikov!" Abe hollered his face the color of ripe tomatoes.

I knew what he was going to say, that he blamed me for this. In all honestly, I blamed myself.

_What was I thinking letting Rose go off on her own?_

She wasn't on her own…she was with Sophia…her sanctioned guardian, my own mind tried to reason.

Either way, the woman I loved was missing and I knew I deserved whatever Abe was about to throw at me.

"What do we know?" He asked, looking around the room for some sort of clue.

There were already at least half a dozen guardians scouring the place for any sign of a breech. We still didn't know what exactly had happened, whether the threat was Strigoi or one of our own, and until Sophia woke up we couldn't know for sure.

"Dimitri!" Lissa cried, rushing into the room with Christian right behind her.

I could see the fear and pain behind his eyes as well.

I knew Lissa wanted answers, but the only person that could give them to her was Sophia. Lissa must have realized this as well, because a few seconds later she was at Sophia's side, using the healing power of spirit to bring her back to consciousness.

I waited anxiously for her eyes to open and give us the answers we so desperately needed.

* * *

><p><strong>Rose's Point of View<strong>

"Rose…." A tiny little voice whimpered nearby.

My head was pounding, but I forced my heavy eyelids open, searching for the sound.

What I found was the small terrified face of my little sister, cowering in a dark corner across the room.

She was still dressed in the fluffy teal party dress Lissa had bought her, the one she was wearing when Sophia and I went to pick her up for the engagement party.

I was dressed in a similar gown, although mine now showed the outward signs of the struggle I'd put up in getting here.

I still couldn't believe it, that crazy old bitch.

How could the Queen have been working with Victor…

**_*Flashback*_**

_We'd just arrived at Frankie's dorm when it happened. _

_Two of the Royal guards showed up and told us the Queen had requested a moment before the party. _

_Initially I hadn't thought anything of it. It wasn't unlike the Queen to summon me at her will. But it was the way Sophia was looking at this one guard in particular that made me wary._

"_What is it Soph?" I asked when she made no effort to move. _

_The guardian she'd been eyeing funny began to fidget uncomfortably under her scrutiny._

"_I know you…" she said, not bothering to answer my question. "You used to guard Prince Dashkov before he turned Strigoi. You were stripped of your status after that…"_

_His eyes narrowed at the memory and the unease in my stomach started to build. _

_Hearing the name Dashkov caused Frankie to rush to my side. She didn't know all of the details of her true parentage but she knew enough to be scared of at the mention of Strigoi. _

_It was also clear that if this guy had been stripped of his guardian status two years ago, then there was no way he was a legitimate member of the Royal Guard. Even if by some chance Tatianna had pardoned the role he'd played with Victor, Royal Guardians had to be approved by the council and this guy would never get approved. _

"_What the hell is going on here?" I stepped in, finally losing my patience. "You're not really members of the Royal Guard, so who are?"_

"_We work for the Queen." He stated simply, seemingly un-phased by being called out on his lies._

"_Bullshit." I called, knowing full well these men were up to something._

_What happened next surprised even me. _

_One second both men were standing a safe distance away from us near the entrance to the room and the next they were on top of us. _

_Frankie let out an ear piercing scream but the fact that she was attached to my lower leg left her in close enough proximity to catch a blow to the head. Her screaming stopped as she fell unconscious to the floor. _

_I was doing my best to fight off my attacker, but the surprise and the blow to Frankie had me off my game. I was distracted for half a second and that's all that it took._

_ The last thing I remembered before passing out was watching in horror as Sophia caught a deafening blow to the back of her head._

**_*End Flashback*_**

"Frankie…are you okay baby?" I asked, trying to ignore the throbbing in my head as I pulled myself up into a sitting position.

The room we were locked in was dark and damp, and suspiciously similar to the basement in Spokane.

"I…I think so. My head hurts." She cried, pulling her knees up tighter to her chest.

"Can you walk baby? Can you come over here?"

I wanted to comfort her but I felt weak; too weak to crawl across the room myself.

She looked scared but she nodded, and slowly made her way over to me. The second she was close enough I wrapped her safely in my arms.

"Shhh, it's okay now." I murmured to her, trying my best not to alert her to my own fear.

I had no doubts in my mind Victor would come walking through that door any second and the nightmares of my past would once again become a reality.

Frankie was sobbing so hard, her whole little body shook under my hands. I couldn't imagine how terrified she must be, and in that moment I knew I would do whatever it took to protect her.

The loud clanging of a metal door being unlocked alerted us to the fact that someone was coming, and a few seconds later he descended down the narrow flight of stairs.

"Ah good, you're awake." He chirped, clapping his hands together.

Just the sight of his face had my anger boiling to the surface. I reached deep within myself to call on my magic and was surprised to find I felt nothing.

"Ah about that…it would appear I have been busy in your absence my dear. Just because you left doesn't mean my experiments stopped. If you will kindly refer to the small needle mark in your neck, you will realize I have developed a way to temporarily paralyze your powers. We don't want you escaping again now do we?"

"Speak for yourself" I spit back, trying to stand and moving to shield Frankie behind me.

"I see you still have the fire I so admire Rosemarie. I'm happy to see that much hasn't changed."

He smiled a sinister smile before two of his minions appeared at the top of the stairs. Behind me Frankie started crying and I was torn between wanting to turn around and comfort her, and staying on the defensive in front of me. Without my powers I wasn't sure how effective I would be, but I'd be damned if I was going to go down without a fight.

I crouched down into a defensive stance when the Strigoi moved closer but Victor just laughed.

"Let's not make this any harder than we have to shall we? Now I'll make you a deal dear. You come with me willingly, and I let little Frankie here go. There's a car waiting at the front door to take her to the nearest academy should you find yourself willing to comply…"

"And where exactly is it that you're taking me?" I asked, trying to stall for time.

I wasn't sure I trusted him to keep his word about Frankie.

"Why to the infirmary of course. My plans haven't changed any Rosemarie, and this time I'm not taking any chances. I will have the child I so desperately want, and you my dear…you will be the one to give it to me."

I shivered at the thought, recalling all the horrible things my mother told me about her Strigoi pregnancy. But Frankie's life was on the line here…and what choice did I really have.

I looked down at the beautiful little girl clinging to my leg and thought of Dimitri. He'd have figured out by now that something was wrong, and I could only imagine the guilt he was putting himself through. But if there was one thing I knew it was that he wouldn't give up on me, and I just had to hold out until he came.

I could do this.

I would do this….for Frankie.

"Fine…you have a deal." I told him, trying not to choke on the words as they left my mouth.

Victor's sinister smile grew wider until it completely distorted his face and the look on his face was so horrific that I let out an involuntary shudder.

"Excellent." He purred. "You made the right choice Rosemarie, now come. We have lots of work to do."

* * *

><p><strong> Read and Review Please : )<strong>


	30. Chapter 30

**Dimitri's Point of View**

I was trying to make sense of what Sophia had just told us but I couldn't.

Why would two men pretending to be members of the Royal Guard abduct Rose? They had to be working for Victor, but to get into court they would have needed help. Was it possible what they said was true, that they really were working for the Queen?

"This is preposterous!" Abe cried, slamming his hand down on the small table in his sitting room. "There is no way those buffoons were really working for Tatianna."

It was no secret that he held a high regard for the Queen, although I couldn't say I understood why. They had very different political and personal views, but for whatever reason he respected her.

"I'm just telling you what they said!" Sophia shouted back.

You had to admire the girls spunk, she didn't cower away from anyone…even Abe Mazur.

I halfheartedly listened to their conversation while trying to work out my own issues in my mind.

And then my phone rang.

I sprang out of the chair to grab it out of my duster pocket.

A small foolish part of me kept hoping it was Rose calling to say this was all just some big misunderstand.

But unsurprisingly it wasn't.

"Guardian Belikov" I answered when I noticed it was the area code for St. Vladimir's.

"Belikov, it's Guardian Petrov. There is someone here that wants to speak to you…"

I couldn't for the life of me imagine who could be calling me from there and with Rose missing going on 15 hours I was hardly in the mood for a chat.

And then I heard the voice on the other end…

"Dimka!" A tiny little voice cried.

I'd know that sweet little girl's voice anywhere.

"Frankie! Are you okay? What's going on? Where's Rose?" I shouted, asking far too many questions at once.

I heard her start crying on the other end and immediately felt guilty for frightening her.

"Shhh, it's okay Milaya. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you. I'm just so worried. Can you tell me what happened?" I tried again, feeling relieved when her little sobs started to quiet down.

"It was the bad man." She told me. "The one with the red eyes. He locked us in a basement and it was cold."

She was still crying but at least I could make out what she was saying.

"What happened then Frankie…?" I encouraged her to continue.

The fact that Rose and her were no longer together wasn't promising…

"The bad man told Rose he'd let me go if she went with him, so she did."

_Oh no…_

"Where did they go Frankie, did he tell you?"

"He said the Innefremy." She hiccupped.

_Innefremy? What the hell is that?_

"The infirmary Frankie?" I asked, hoping to God that wasn't what she meant.

"Yeah that it's." She confirmed after another hiccup.

_Son of a bitch_

"Okay Frankie, now I need to ask you another very important question okay? Can you tell me how long it took you to get from the bad man's house to where you are now?"

Frankie told me they were holding them in a basement, and I couldn't help but wonder if he had returned to the scene of the crime. Could it really be that he was stupid enough to return her to Spokane?

"I'm not sure Dimka…they let me watch two Disney movie's in the car."

I'd seen enough of them with my nephew back home to know each movie was about an hour and a half, putting the car trip at right around 3 hours.

Just the right amount of time to travel from Spokane…

"Okay, that's good Frankie, that's really good. Can you put Guardian Petrov back on the phone now?" I asked, needing to talk to the woman I knew had the resources we needed.

"Alberta! I need you to dispatch a team of guardians to Spokane immediately. That's where Victors holding Rose, the rest of us on our way from court right now!"

She didn't argue with my request or bother questioning the Intel of a five year old child. She simply did as I had asked and with no further explanation necessary the rest of us sprang into action.

* * *

><p><strong>Adrian's Point of View<strong>

I didn't want to believe it.

My aunt was the Queen of the Moroi world and a good person.

At least that was what I had always thought...

_*Flashback*_

_News about Roses abduction had spread like wildfire and the whole court was abuzz with the action. _

_I hated to admit it, but one look at Belikov and I actually felt bad for the guy. He was clearly beating himself up over this, and I knew all too well what it felt like to lose Rose. I wouldn't wish that pain on anyone._

_Sure Rose had never really been mine, but that didn't lessen the hurt any, and Rose wasn't the kind of woman you ever really go over._

_My relationship with Sydney had helped, but my heart would always belong to Rose, and even if she wasn't mine, I would do whatever it took to help find her._

_I knew the affection my aunt felt towards Rose and so I thought my best bet would be to start with her. She was the ruler of the free world with unlimited resources at her disposal. If anyone would be able to find Rose it was her. _

_I was just about to enter her private chambers when I caught sight of two strange auras on the other side of the door. I wasn't really sure what to make of that, so I chose not to enter, and listened from the outside of the door. Thanks to my Moroi senses I could hear their conversation perfectly._

"_Is it done?" Tatianna asked in a weary voice. _

_She sounded sad for some reason, although I couldn't say why._

"_Yes your majesty. Lady Mazur and the girl were delivered there late last night._

"_And no one suspects anything." The second aura chimed in._

_What the hell were they talking about?_

_I leaned in closer, but it wasn't really necessary. I could hear them just fine, even if they weren't making any sense._

"_Very well then…" Tatianna sighed. _

_I didn't need to see her face to imagine the look on it. She sounded defeated, and almost ashamed._

"_Your majesty, it had to be done. Lady Mazur crossed a line; she was disturbing the balance in our world. You couldn't let her make a mockery of the system our ancestors spent a lifetime building." One of the voices tried to console her._

_Something told me I wasn't going to like what I heard next._

"_Yes well it will all be for nothing if that little girl doesn't play her part. Are you sure she'll be able to lead Belikov to the hideout? He's the reason for all this; he's the one that needs to be eliminated." _

_What was she saying? Did my aunt have something to do with Rose's kidnapping?_

"_We made sure the girl ended up at St. Vladimir's like you asked. Surely Belikov will be able to put two and two together. I wouldn't be surprised if he's on a plane there right now." One voice answered her smugly._

_Who were these bastards?_

"_Good. Now let's just hope he takes that band of merry misfits with him. We need the whole lot of them eliminated for this to work" _

"_And what of Lady Mazur?" The other voice asked. "How will you go about rescuing her?"_

"_Why Adrian of course." Tatianna replied._

_I could hear the smile in her voice when she answered. _

"_Adrian will no doubt come to me wanting to help, and when does, I will suggest he dream walk with her. Victor wouldn't say where he was taking her, even though he believes I care little for what happens to her. But once Adrian discovers where he's keeping her, we'll send in a rescue team. By then Belikov and the rest of them will be eliminated in that house in Spokane and Rose will come home to find she is all alone, with no one to lean on except Adrian."_

_That's why she was doing all this? So Rose would have no other choice than to be with me? Didn't she know anything about Rose? This plan would never work!_

_Tatianna could kill everyone Rose ever loved but that still didn't mean she'd fall in love with me. She'd just spend the rest of her life pinning away for Belikov, the same way she did when he'd left her at the academy…._

_*End Flashback*_

I didn't stick around to listen to anymore after that. I knew all that I need to know.

Racing down the hall to Abe's guest quarters I prayed I wouldn't be too late to warn them.


	31. Chapter 31

**Rose's Point of View**

Once Frankie was safely away, I could finally start focusing on an escape plan.

I had zero intentions of being the impregnated Strigoi bride of Victor Dashkov, today or any other day of my life! But with my powers on mute I was going to have to find another way out of this mess.

Much to my dismay, we didn't stay at the house in Spokane.

_I know…who thought I'd ever be saying those words out loud!_

But the truth was, if we had stayed there, at least Dimitri would have had some idea of where to look for me.

I tried not to panic when we left that awful estate, but when we reached an airstrip I knew things didn't look good.

"Where the hell are you taking me?" I asked, jerking my arm out of Victors reach.

He chuckled at my exuberance.

"Such an impatient one aren't we…" he smirked, leading me reluctantly onto the plane.

I never really imagined he'd be dumb enough to tell me where we were going, but I should have known that he'd have plenty of contingency plans in place. One of his Strigoi minions pushed me roughly into one of the seats before shoving a needle carelessly into my neck.

It took a few seconds for the contents to kick in but the last thing I heard before sleep took me was the pilot.

"We're all set Prince Dashkov; we should be arriving back in Pittsburgh by dinner."

* * *

><p><strong>Dimitri's Point of View<strong>

I never thought I'd be thanking the day Adrian Ivashkov was born.

We were just about to leave Abe's suite when he came rushing in the door, filling in the missing pieces of all my unanswered questions.

Turns out this had been Queen Tatianna's plan all along, only Rose wasn't the real target, we were.

Rose was just the bait.

I had to stifle every urge I had not rip that woman's head from her neck, but as Adrian had reminded me, we had more important things to worry about.

First of all we needed to let Tatianna think things were going according to plan.

We would leave court on a plane as scheduled, but instead of heading to Spokane, we were looking for an unknown destination. I knew from what little Adrian had told us that even the Queen didn't know Rose's true whereabouts, but with Adrian's help we could find out.

The idea of him dream walking with her didn't exactly thrill me. Something about the whole exchange just sounded too intimate. But right now was hardly the time to dwell on that, so I pushed my other reservations aside.

Once we were in the air on one of Abe Mazur's private jets, it was time to get to work. Rose had been missing for nearly a day and we didn't have another second to waste.

"Okay Ivashkov, let's see how good you really are." I told him.

He smiled that confident smug smile I hated so much and chuckled.

"Prepare to be amazed Belikov…"

* * *

><p><strong>Adrian's Point of View<strong>

There's nothing like a plane full of people staring at you to put the edge on.

"Seriously you guys, can you stop staring at me like that, it isn't going to help me find her any faster." I told them with my eyes still closed, trying to ignore the stares.

I'd been trying to connect with Rose for over an hour but nothing was happening.

I knew that in all likelihood she probably wasn't sleeping, but a small voice in the back of my head kept imaging the worst case scenario.

My over active imagination was about to get the better of me when I felt it, that small familiar tug of a spirit dream forming.

_Bingo!_

I tried to focus on the feeling as it intensified, trying not to shift the setting.

Normally I would find somewhere romantic for this to take place, taking any opportunity to woe her. But right now we were on a rescue mission, and I needed to be able to focus on her true surroundings.

When Rose's blurry form finally materialized before me, I nearly died of relief to see was completely unharmed. Aside from a few tatters in her aquamarine formal wear, she didn't have a hair out of place. No cuts, no bruises, nothing to alarm me of the worst.

"Adrian?" She asked, her eyes squinting to get a better look.

"Little Fireball!" I cried, wrapping her in a warm embrace. It felt unbelievably good to hold her in my arms, even if this was only an alternate reality.

I pulled back to get a better look at her and I could tell she was still pretty disorientated. She may not have been harmed physically but they had definitely given her something.

"Are you okay Little Fireball? Do you know where you are?"

She was still looking at me funny, but then her expression suddenly shifted.

"This is a spirit dream isn't it? We're dream walking?" she asked.

_Smart girl, now she was finally getting it._

"Adrian! I'm on a plane right now…"

_I could tell as much since we were currently standing on one._

Initially I thought I had accidently imagined my own surroundings, but then I got a good look at the seats and the set up and I realized we were on a different private plane.

"Where's the plane going Rose, do you know?"

I needed her to give me an answer quickly, with dream walking you never really knew how long you would have.

"Pittsburgh! Adrian he's taking me back to Pittsburgh!" She cried.

I could see the evident fear in her eyes and I pulled her towards me for another hug. Her tears were flowing freely now and I wished more than anything I could do something to comfort her. I knew it wasn't my arms she was craving around her and in that moment, I had an idea.

"Hold that thought Fireball…" I told her, focusing all my thoughts on my arch nemesis sitting nearby.

I could feel the effects the spirit was having on me as my own body began to feel weak under all of the pressure, but with a little effort, I saw that it was working. A few seconds later Dimitri materialized beside me.

"Adrian…what the hell…" he started, but quickly shut up when he saw Rose.

"Roza!" he whispered, almost like he was afraid he was seeing things.

Dimitri might not have believed what was happening but Rose did. She didn't waste a second throwing herself into his arms.

I stood uncomfortably off to the side, feeling completely out of place watching their reunion.

I wanted to hate the guy for stealing the woman I loved, but one look at the comfort he brought her and I couldn't.

I couldn't begrudge Rose anything that made her this happy.

"I hate to break up the reunion…" I told them, "But we don't have a lot of time. Dimitri, Rose said they are on a plane back to Pittsburgh. In any of your research on Victor did you come across any properties he had in the area?"

If we could get the upper hand on this one, we'd be a lot better off. We were closer to court than they were and if we could beat them to the estate we could set up an ambush.

"I'm not sure…" he admitted, furrowing her eyebrows in thought. "I brought the files with me, they're in my bag.

"Dimitri…he told me his plans haven't changed." Rose whispered, her small fists clenched tightly around his neck.

I knew enough about Victors previous plans to understand the low growl that emitted from Dimitri's chest. The crazy bastard wanted to impregnate his fiancé…I'd be pretty pissed too.

"Don't worry Milaya…that won't happen I promise." He told her, brushing a piece of stray hair out of her beautiful face. Her worried expression softened under his touch and I had to swallow down my own jealously at the reaction.

It wasn't really a promise he could make, but I admired the guy for thinking he could do so.

"I love you." She whispered, brushing her lips softly against his lips. "Please be careful."

He was just about to say something when Rose suddenly disappeared.

"Where did she go?" He shouted, looking around panicked.

_Poor guy._

"We were dream walking dude…it means she woke up."

I watched his face fall for a second longer before I decided it was time to pull us back to the present as well.

We knew where Rose was headed; now we just needed to figure out a plan.

The minute we were back in the present, Dimitri started scouring through his carryon bag like a crazy person. Within seconds he had every file he had on Victor scattered about across his lap.

"What's going on?" Abe barked.

He had been sitting near the front of the plane with Ivan and Sophia, but Dimitri's frantic efforts were now attracting everyone's attention.

"Rose is headed back to Pittsburgh." I told them, when Dimitri seemed to engrossed in his mission to answer.

"So what's D doing?" Ivan asked, eyeing his frantic friend warily. I think he was wondering if the stress of losing Rose had finally caused him to snap.

_I doubt anyone would blame him if it had…_

"Got it!" Belikov shouted, standing up with a triumphant smile. He shoved the folder into Abe's hands before making his way towards to cockpit to alert the captain.

"What's it say?" Ivan asked, peering over Abe's shoulder at the file.

I didn't miss the look that crossed Abe's face while he read it. It was the look of someone that had seen a ghost.

"What is Clarence Manor?" Sophia asked, who was now peeing over to read the file as well.

"It's our old family house." Abe sighed heavily. "And the place where Janine was initially taken…"

* * *

><p><strong>Reviews Please : )<strong>


	32. Chapter 32

**Victor's Point of View**

She was even lovelier than I remembered.

Sure she was also a disobedient pain in the ass, but that wasn't anything I couldn't handle. I may have underestimated her before but I wasn't foolish enough to make the same mistake twice.

It also helped that Rose had burned her bridges with Tatianna. And thanks to our little agreement, Tatianna would finally take care of the meddlesome bunch who threatened to ruin all of my success. I couldn't have them interfering this time…

After years of tweaking and planning the formula was finally complete. This next child would be a failure like all those other brats and this time Rose would give me the child I've always wanted.

"Excuse me…Sir?" A shrill annoying voice pulled me back to the present.

I glanced across the aisle to see that Rose was still blissfully sleeping.

"What is it?" I snapped, annoyed by such an unnecessary interruption.

The look on the Moroi nurses face looked terrified; even more so than the usual fear one usually felt in the presence of Strigoi. Whatever she needed to tell me was certain to annoy me.

"Just spit it out!" I barked.

I had no tolerance for this kind of incompetence.

"It's about the pre-lab blood work you had me draw from Rose; there was a problem."She paused, clearly afraid to elaborate further.

"Go on" I encouraged, trying to keep my tone even. I was losing my patience here.

One look at my face told her if she valued her life she better get on with it.

"Sir, we're not going to be able to do the procedure. Rose is already pregnant."

* * *

><p><strong>I know I'm evil, but this is just a little chapter teaser of what's to come. Leave enough reviews and I'll put you out of your misery and post the rest of the chapter tonight : )<strong>


	33. Chapter 33

**Rose's Point of View**

"You little Bitch!" He snarled.

I looked around the plane shocked, trying to make sense of what was happening. One minute I was dream walking with Adrian and Dimitri and the next I was being lifted off the ground by my throat.

The look on Victors face was crazed and out of control; two things I'd never seen on Victor before.

I wanted to ask him what the hell was going on but all I could do was gasp. The lack of air was pretty disorientating and if he didn't loosen his grip soon I was going to pass out before I got a chance to find out what this was all about.

As if somehow reading my mind, he released his hold on my neck tossing me carelessly to the ground.

"Did you think I wouldn't find out about this? He sneered, coming to tower over me.

I was still trying to catch my breath when he yanked me vertical again by the hair. I let out an involuntary cry which only seemed to fuel his rage further.

"This baby won't save you!" He snarled. "I'm just going to kill it and replace it with me own!"

_Baby? What baby? What the hell was he talking about?_

I think my confusion must have shown on my face because he suddenly stopped screaming and cocked his head to the side curiously.

"You didn't know did you?" He laughed darkly.

_God his mood swings were giving me a headache._

I thought about trying to come up with something smart to say but honestly I didn't have the energy. Instead I just shook my head and tried not to visibly cringe when he laughed again humorlessly.

"You let that filthy Dhamphir get you pregnant!"

_What?_

"I'm pregnant?" I asked dumbly.

The words were out of my mouth before I had a chance to stop them.

"Not for long." He spat back, taking a deep breath to regain his composure.

I watched in utter shock as he worked to regain control over his emotions.

I was pregnant, with Dimitri's baby and now Victor knew about it.

I was still reeling from the shock of that news when one his damn minions appeared at my side. I barely had a chance to protest before I felt the unpleasant sting of a sharp needle in my neck and everything faded back to black.

* * *

><p><strong>Adrian's Point of View<strong>

"Just keep trying." Belikov insisted.

_I wondered if he knew how pathetic he sounded._

We were sitting on the cold hard ground outside of Clarence manor, waiting for Victor to show up with Rose.

After figuring out where they were headed, Abe didn't waste a minute putting a plan into action. By the time the plane landed back in Pittsburgh, there was an entire team of privately hired guardians in place.

I had to hand it to the man, he worked quickly.

Once all the pieces were in motion Dimitri had started insisting I try reaching back out to Rose. I highly doubted that she'd be asleep again so soon after our last dream walk, but the man was nothing if not persistent and eventually I got pretty tired of the sound of his voice.

With everyone in their positions I figured it couldn't hurt to try while we waited. With a deep breath I concentrated on Rose and was more than a little surprised when I felt a spirit dream starting to form. I knew how desperately Belikov wished I could pull him in, but we were staked outside a bush keeping watch on the property so at least one of us needed to stay on our guard.

I watched warily while I waited for Rose to appear, silently praying that no harm had come to her since our last visit. But when she finally materialized before me, I became instantly aware that something had happened. Physically she was still unharmed, but there was a frantic sort of desperation in her eyes.

"Adrian!" she cried, throwing herself into my arms.

Whatever it was that was upsetting her, it was bad enough that she was willing to settle for my comfort instead Belikov's. Tears were streaming down her beautiful face and I could tell from the way she was quivering that she was terrified.

"What's wrong Rose, what happened?"

I'd never seen her so scared in all my life and it was a little unnerving to say the least.

_This was serious._

Rose opened her mouth to start explaining, but just before she did, a somewhat guilty expression came over her and I could tell she was hesitant to talk to me.

"Rose, whatever it is you can tell me; I promise." I encouraged.

I needed her to talk to me, the anticipation was killing me!

She searched my face for a few moments before finally letting out a heavy sigh.

"Adrian…I'm pregnant."

Her gaze shifted down to her feet and her earlier look of guilt and shame reappeared.

_Holy shit…Belikov is going to lose it._

How did Victor manage that so quickly and how could Rose be so sure. I mean I'm no expert on pregnancy but the last time I checked these things didn't always take on the first try.

Hey, I would know. I'd been lucky enough to figure that one out first hand once or twice…

I looked back at Rose and realized she was still waiting for me to say something, although I didn't have the first clue as to what to say.

But her eyes were about to overflow with tears and I knew I needed to say something.

"Hey…it's okay." I told her taking a tentative step closer.

"I know you're scared right now, but Dimitri loves you; this won't change anything. Once we get you back safely, you two can decide what to do about this together. Maybe it won't be so bad; I mean Frankie turned out pretty okay…"

I watched as several different emotions played out across her face before she finally settled back on guilt. She took a small step backwards and out of my reach before she spoke again.

"Adrian you don't understand. I'm not pregnant with Victor's baby; I'm pregnant with Dimitri's…"

_Did she just say what I think she said?_

I was just about to ask her when the dream suddenly dissolved and I was slammed back into the present.

"Did you find her?" Belikov asked staring at my face expectantly.

For half a second all I could think about was punching the guy.

My perfect Rose; my beautiful perfect Rose was carrying that asshole's baby and now she would never be mine. The realization hit my like a sack of bricks and I suddenly felt like all the wind had been knocked out of me. I mean, sure I knew I'd lost Rose the moment they got engaged, but this just made the whole thing official.

Rose was completely lost to me now.

"Adrian!" Dimitri shook me, and I realized he was still waiting for me to answer.

"Rose is pregnant." I told him numbly, not even realizing at first that he'd probably come to the same conclusion I had.

"No." He whispered, shaking his head as he buried his face in his hands.

The merciful side of me wanted to put him out of his misery while the vindictive side of me said it was only fair I let him suffer a bit. I mean when you think about it, after all this is said and done, Dimitri gets the girl and the baby and what will I be left with?

_Nothing._

Of course that pesky better half won out in the end.

"It's not Victors baby…it's yours."

* * *

><p><strong>Dimitri's Point of View<strong>

I could feel Adrian's eyes on me as he watched me process the news.

Rose was pregnant….with my baby…and all I could think about was how?

We'd always been so careful.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't like I wasn't thrilled by the idea, but that didn't mean it didn't come as a total shock. I'd always wanted a family with Rose and in this moment I desperately wished I could know what she was thinking.

"Is she okay?" I asked when I finally regained the ability to form a complete thought.

Adrian gave me a strange look before he answered.

"As okay as a person being held captive by a psychotic Strigoi who wants to kill her unborn baby can be." He rolled his eyes.

_Kill her unborn baby…?_

My whole body stiffened at the mere mention of him harming my child.

"No one is going to harm that baby!" I hissed and I watched as Adrian visibly flinched away from my anger.

"Hey don't look at me like that, I don't have a problem it." He lied smoothly holding up his hands in a show of surrender.

I could tell from his previous reaction that he was lying. This was definitely going to be a hard pill for him to swallow.

"I need to warn Abe and the others." I announced pulling my cellphone out of my left front pocket.

Victor and Rose would be arriving any minute and the rest of the guardians needed to be apprised of the situation.

I had meant what I'd said to Adrian. No harm was going to come to our baby…not if I had anything to say about it.

* * *

><p><strong>Reviews Please : ) Lots and lots of Reviews!<strong>


	34. Chapter 34

**Tatianna's Point of View**

Something wasn't right; I could feel it.

It had been hours since Rose had gone missing and I still had hadn't heard anything from Adrian. Come to think of it, I hadn't heard much of anything from any of them.

The plan had been to lure Rose's little motley crew out to Spokane while Adrian and I focused on uncovering her true location. I wasn't so delusional as to believe Victor would hang around Spokane to get see the job get done, so right now I had no way of knowing whether the trap had actually worked. It wasn't like I could just call one of his henchmen.

I knew most people wouldn't understand why I was doing this, but being Queen is about making the tough decisions. My health wasn't what it used to be and I hadn't spent the last 10 years grooming Rose to take the throne only to have her throw it all away.

And for love no less.

No…this was the right thing for everyone, even if Rose couldn't see that right now.

After another twenty minutes of pacing around the throne room my impatience finally got the best of me.

The time for waiting was over and now Adrian needed to get me some answers. Pulling out my mobile phone I quickly dialed and waited for him to pick up on the other end.

3 rings later he finally answered.

"Now's not a good time." He answered curtly.

It wasn't like him to be so rude.

"Adrian dear I'm the Queen. Anytime is a good time if I say so. Now I need to see you." I told him sternly. Adrian was well known for pushing my buttons but even he knew better than to argue when I used this tone.

Or at least I thought he did.

"I already told you Auntie, it's not a good time." I could hear him trying to muffle the phone but I could have sworn I heard the sound of Belikov's voice in the background.

"Adrian, where are you exactly?" I questioned, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice. If Adrian was with Belikov then things definitely weren't going according to plan.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He mumbled darkly. "Look I've got to go."

He didn't even give me a chance to open my mouth before I heard the unmistakable sound of a dial tone.

Yes…something was definitely wrong.

* * *

><p><strong>Rose's Point of View<strong>

When I came to a second time we were in a large SUV driving down a bumpy road. Sneaking a peak out of the window I noticed there was nothing around for miles.

Nothing except for the giant country manor sprawled out in front of us.

The house itself was quite large, but had clearly suffered a bit of neglect over the years. It was also incredibly familiar, but I couldn't quite figure out where I recognized it from.

"How's your memory Rosemarie?" Victor asked, peering into the backseat to look at me.

"It would probably suck less if you quit drugging me." I spat.

I wasn't trying to amuse him, but it seemed I was doing just that.

"You make a fair point, but I much rather prefer your company when you're sedated dear. I've found you are quite ornery otherwise." He smiled.

"Gee I wonder why?" I grumbled sarcastically.

Most people would probably try to avoid antagonizing their kidnapper but then I'm not like most people. Victor was a sadistic bastard who wanted to kill my unborn baby; I wasn't really in the mood to try and play nice.

Pulling up in the familiar looking driveway, I racked my brain again trying to figure out how I knew this place.

"Still can't figure it out?" Victor taunted.

_What I wouldn't give to be able to set that bastard on fire right now…_

He was looking at me expectantly and I just knew he was waiting for me to give up and ask.

_Well tough shit buddy because that's never gonna happen._

Rolling his eyes Victor finally conceded. "Very well then Rosemarie, have it your way."

When we reached the front steps of the old worn down house, I could have sworn I saw a flash of movement on the inside.

"Take her back to the car and keep her there." Victor hissed.

Apparently I wasn't the only one who saw that.

I knew from my brief contact with Adrian that they had a pretty good idea where I might but and I felt a small spark of hope thinking it might be Dimitri waiting to rescue me on the other side. Victor must have been thinking the same thing given the number of henchmen he took inside with him.

Walking back to the car, one of Victor's idiotic minions made the mistake of shoving me a little too hard. I was still groggy from the sedation, but I somehow managed not to fall on my face. I did however feel a sudden rush of anger at the manhandling and was surprised to find a small ball of fire had formed in my hand.

I guess Victors little experimental drug wasn't as fool proof as he thought.

Closing my fist tightly I quickly extinguished the flame before anyone else could notice. There were still two henchmen left behind with me, so I needed to time this just right.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry it took me a couple of days to get this chapter up. It's a little short but don't worry the next one is soon to follow. <strong>

**Don't forget to review please : )**


	35. Chapter 35

**Dimitri's POV**

This was it.

As the car slowly made its way up the driveway it took every ounce of my self-control not to come barreling out of the bushes and attack the bastards that were holding Rose hostage.

"Slow and steady wins the race." I heard Ivan remind me through the ear piece I was wearing.

And I knew he was right.

We were only going to get one good shot at this, and I wasn't about to let my temper blow it. This wasn't just about saving the woman I loved anymore; this was also about our unborn child. I may not have known about this baby long, but I already loved it and I'd be damned if I let Victor get his hands on either of them ever again.

"They're getting out of the car." I heard Pavel's voice through the ear piece.

I knew he had the best view from his aerial position on the second floor with Ivan. Downstairs was Abe and Sophia, along with Christian and a handful of guardians. Lissa had put up a pretty good fight about being here, but in the end we managed to convince her the best thing for Rose would be to know her best friend was safe. She wasn't happy about it, but she eventually agreed to stay behind at the plane with Eddie.

"Hold on…something's happening" Pavel spoke up. "It looks like Victors sending Rose back to the car. I think he might have seen something."

_No No No…_

"Okay, they are taking Rose back to the car now, but there's only two of them. Dimitri, do you think you can sneak past the front door unnoticed?" Ivan asked.

Adrian and I were currently guarding the back door, but knowing Rose wasn't trapped in that house I wasn't about to pass up an opportunity to get to her.

"I'm on it." I answered, already jumping to my feet.

"I'm coming with you." Adrian spoke up, grabbing my arm to stop me.

I hadn't been thrilled about the idea of bringing Adrian a long in the first place; he was just another Moroi I'd feel compelled to protect. But he had played a huge part in helping us locate Rose and I knew he wasn't about to go quietly until he saw this rescue mission through.

"Fine, but stay close."

* * *

><p><strong>Rose's Point of View<strong>

I still couldn't believe my luck.

What were the chances that my fire power would come back to me right at the opportune moment? If that didn't mean I was supposed to survive this thing, then I didn't know what did.

"Get in" One of the Strigoi pushed me roughly.

_I was seriously going to enjoy lighting that asshole on fire._

Once both of those idiots were strapped in in the front seat, I knew it was time to make my move. I waited a few more seconds as they were currently pulling out of the driveway. It couldn't hurt to let them get a short distance away from the house before starting the BBQ.

I'd seen a Strigoi on fire before and they didn't exactly go down quietly.

"Where the hell are we going?" I asked, trying to put on a convincing show. They had both spent enough time with me to know that I asked a lot of questions and I didn't want them to get suspicious about me suddenly seeming so compliant.

"Somewhere safe." One of them barked back, not even bothering to turn around and glare at me.

Little did they know there was no such thing as a safe place for them…not when I had my fire power back.

"That's too bad; I think I'd like to stay awhile." I smirked, before letting the fire shoot freely from my palms.

In my haste to light the bastards up, I didn't take into consideration how distracting it would be trying to operate a car while you're on fire.

_Good thing I was wearing my seat belt._

We were a safe enough distance from the house now that when the now flaming Strigoi lost control of the car and crashed into a tree, I was pretty sure Victor wouldn't be able to hear it.

The car smashed head on into a large sycamore tree and even with my seat belt on, my head jerked back from the force of the impact.

_Son of a bitch that hurt._

I instinctively reached down to protect my stomach, curling in on myself to absorb some of the impact. In the front seat, both Strigoi were still screaming in agony, but after another quick flick of my wrists, the blaze grew even hotter and within seconds they were nothing but a pile of ash.

I smiled a small smile of victory before I felt the overwhelming pressure suddenly squeezing my temples. I reached up to clutch the side of my head, trying not to pass out under the weight of the pain. It was excruciating to say the least and before I got a chance to unbuckle my seat belt, my vision turned to black.

* * *

><p><strong>Dimitri's Point of View<strong>

"Where the hell are they taking her?" Adrian mumbled as we quickly made our way around the front of the house.

I could see the headlights of the car Rose was supposed to be in slowly making its way down the winding driveway.

"I don't know Adrian, but if you plan on keeping up with me you're going to have to move a lot faster." I snapped. This was exactly why I hadn't wanted to bring him along; he was slowing me down.

"I'm moving as fast as I can" Adrian complained, and I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes. Of course he thought he was moving quickly he was an undisciplined Moroi; he didn't have the same level of endurance as I did.

"Just keep moving." I ordered as we reached the side of the house.

Inside I could hear the sounds of a struggle taking place. I hated the idea of leaving Ivan in that place. He was my best friend and charge, and it went against everything I'd been taught my whole life. But I knew Sophia would never let anything happen to him and right now Rose and my child needed me.

We had barely made it around the first bend of the winding drive when I heard the unmistakable sound of a metal crashing. There was smoke fanning up towards the sky in the distance and I felt my heart take a lurch in my chest.

Rose.

Not even bothering to wait for Adrian, I set off down the driveway at a dead sprint, praying to any God that would listen that Rose and our baby would be okay.

Thankfully it didn't take me long to find them.

The car that we had been tailing was now sitting motionless, kissing the front end of a sycamore tree. I could make out the distinct smell of smoke, not just from the hood of the car, but the inside as well.

"Holy shit!" Adrian exclaimed, now out of breath behind me. I knew he was seeing the same thing I was. "Is Rose still in there?" He asked.

_There's only one way to find out._

Rushing over to the car, I didn't even bother to answer his question. If Rose was still in there, we needed to get her out and fast. I pulled open the back door the moment I was close enough to do so and breathed a small sigh of relief when I noticed that while unconscious, she seemed relatively unharmed.

I couldn't say the same for the two charbroiled Strigoi that once occupied the front seat.

I did a cursory check of Rose's body while I unbuckled her seat belt and not seeing any reason not to do so; I scooped her up and lifted her from the car's backseat. She was still unconscious and her body hung limply in my arms.

"Is she okay?" Adrian asked frantically from beside me. I could tell he was just as anxious about Rose's health as I was. "Here, set her down over there and I can heal her." He ordered, leading me over to a small patch of grass.

As a spirit user he had the ability to heal her like Lissa had.

I wasn't exactly willing to part with her body, but if Adrian could help her than I had to let him. Setting her gingerly on the ground, I removed the stray hair that was covering her face.

Even now, all banged up like she was, she was beautiful.

Not wasting anytime, Adrian dropped down on his knees beside her and gently placed his hands over her body. I really wanted to hate the guy, but it was kind of hard when he kept saving Rose's life. I watched in awe as the magic flowed out from him, and the cuts and bruises covering Rose's body vanished right before my eyes. I could see Adrian starting to get a little wobbly before he finally lifted his hands from her body and opened his eyes.

"They're okay now." He half whispered, lifting his head to meet my eyes. "Both of them."

I didn't know what was happening back at the house, or how the rest of our little band of misfits was fairing, but I looked down at Rose and our baby she was carrying and for the first time since she had gone missing, I knew that everything was going to be alright.

* * *

><p><strong>I don't know about the rest of you, but I always like the idea of Rose being able to save herself. Even as a Moroi she can be pretty bad ass. Next chapter we get to expose Tatianna for the witch she really is : ) <strong>

**Don't forget to leave a review : )**


	36. Chapter 36

**Rose's Point of View**

When I came to again, the first thing I could think of was: I've got to stop waking up like this!

"Roza?" I heard the voice of an angel call out.

That's when it hit me; I hadn't died a fiery death in that burning SUV. I was alive and well and Dimitri was here with me!

_Dimitri! _

_I had to tell him about the baby!_

Without thinking I tried to sit up a little too quickly only to fall back down on the bed.

_Wait, the bed? Where the hell was I anyway and seriously how long have I been out of it?_

"Dimitri?" I croaked turning my head to look for him. I wouldn't be satisfied until I could see his face.

"I'm right here Milaya, just try to relax. The doctor should be in here any minute." He cooed.

_Doctor huh? So I guess that means I'm in a hospital._

I wanted to bombard Dimitri with more questions but the moment my eyes made contact with his dark and earnest gave, all my previous thoughts just flew out the window. I was alive and Dimitri was here and our baby…

_Our baby!_

"Dimitri!" I cried, my hands automatically flying to my stomach. I had no idea what kind of damage my body had sustained in the accident.

"The baby is fine Roza, just breathe." He reassured me, a slow goofy grin spreading across his face.

_Wait a minute did he just say the baby was fine?_

"Adrian told me." He explained, obviously understanding the shocked confusion on my face.

_Well that made a lot of sense, although I'd have to remember to ask him later just how those two came to work together._

I wanted to ask him how he was feeling about all this, but before I got the chance the doctor came in.

"Welcome back Rosemarie. It's good to see those eyes open." She smiled warmly.

I looked between her and Dimitri slightly panicked.

"How long was I out?"

_It would really suck to be one of those people who spent years in a coma only to find the whole world had moved on without them._

"Don't worry Milaya, it was barely two days." Dimitri reassured me, taking his large hand and gently covering mine.

Okay two days wasn't that bad, but that didn't mean I was happy about it. A lot could happen in two days and the less foggy my mind became the more I needed some answers.

"Now I know you probably have about a million questions, but let me start by telling you, you're going to be just fine." She smiled confidently. I looked to Dimitri for confirmation and he gave me his own smile in return.

"And the baby?" I asked, turning my attention back to the doctor.

"The baby too." She grinned. "You've got quite the little fighter on your hands."

"Just like its mother." Dimitri chuckled softly. One look at his carefree and relaxed smile was all the reassurance I needed. Now we could move on with the rest of my inquisition.

After a few routine exams, the doctor gave me the all clear and the moment the door closed behind her, I started in with the questions.

"Tell me everything." I ordered. "And don't even think of leaving anything out."

Dimitri shook his head and laughed.

"One thing at a time Milaya." He chided me, abandoning the hard plastic hospital chair to come lay beside me. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he'd been waiting two days to hold me like this and he wasn't going to wait another second.

Despite my obvious impatience, I decided it wouldn't kill me to humor him. For me, I hadn't even noticed the time passing but poor Dimitri had been forced to watch me laying here unconscious for two days. He deserved a couple of minutes to enjoy this.

"Do you have any idea how scared I was?" he asked, pressing a soft kiss into my hair. I had to admit it felt nice being cocooned in her strong embrace; but not as nice as it would be to get some answers…

"I might have a better idea if you told me what happened…" I hinted. I felt Dimitri's chest rumble with laughter underneath me before he let out a heavy sigh.

"What do you want to know?" He asked and I smiled widely at my victory.

"Everything!"

* * *

><p>Unbelievable.<p>

Un-freaking-believable!

How could Tatianna do this to me?

I'd just spent the last 20 minutes listening to Dimitri explain how this whole horrid abduction came to be. I'd always known Tatianna was off her rocker, but conspiring with Strigoi? I just couldn't believe it!

Dimitri also explained the sequence of events that had transpired after he and Adrian pulled me from that burning car.

Apparently Victor and his minions had walked right into an ambush and although a few of the guardians had suffered some injury, they'd all managed to walk away in one piece. Christian even got the honor of setting fire to Victor himself.

I had to admit I was pretty jealous over that one. What I wouldn't give to have seen him go up in flames.

As for Tatianna's part in all this, that much as still a little tricky. Having Adrian discredit would go a long way to help but she was still the Queen an there wasn't much we could do without hard proof.

"So you're telling me that bitch is going to get away with this?" I shouted.

Where was the justice in that?

"That bitch is leader of the Moroi world Rose, and for the record, that's not what I'm saying at all." Dimitri countered. "It just means that were going to have to get creative."

_Sometimes he was so reasonable it was nauseating…_

"Roza, I know you are angry, but please just trust me when I say this, we are going to make things right. She won't get away with it."

I wanted to believe him but the world hadn't given me many reasons to. I mean it's pretty hard to keep a sense of humor about how the universe operates when you feel like the joke is always on you.

First my mother "dies" when I was a child, then I watch one of my best friends get his neck snapped while trying to help me escape a crazed kidnapper; After which my entire surrogate family suffers a horrible death only for me to get kidnapped again just a few years later.

I guess that's one of the remarkable things about life; it's never so bad that it can't get worse!

"That woman is pure evil Dimitri, so don't think for one second that I'm about to just let this go." I warned him.

I felt Dimitri let out a heavy sigh from beneath me.

"Just promise me something." He started. "When it comes to life and death matters, try to remember you're thinking for two now."

_Speaking of which…_

"You know, you never did get a chance to tell me how you are feeling about all this. I mean a baby is kind of a big deal…" I trailed off.

Dimitri and I had talked about starting a family before, but it had always been in the abstract. I still wasn't even sure how this happened!

"Well…I'd be lying if I said I was shocked." Dimitri admitted. "But once that part wore off I found out that I was actually pretty excited!" I tilted my head to look at him only to find he was wearing that same goofy grin he had on the last time someone mentioned the baby.

"So then you're happy?" I clarified, not even realizing until this moment just how important that confirmation was to me.

"Roza I'm more than happy." He grinned broadly.

I looked up into those beautiful brown eyes of his and I couldn't help but smile just as goofily in return.

"Were having a baby Comrade!" I cried out in a terribly embarrassing squeal. Dimitri chuckled lightly at my sudden exuberance before pressing a sweet and tender kiss upon my lips.

"We're having a baby." He smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>Any thoughts on how we should expose Tatianna?<strong>

**Reviews Please : )**


	37. Chapter 37

**DPOV**

After two excruciatingly long days in the hospital, we were finally back home. Of course that didn't necessarily mean that the hard part was over. Victor may be gone now, but there was still the matter of Tatianna. Without a way to expose her role in all this, it was only a matter of time before she tried something like this again.

She felt Rose was a threat to our way of life, and she wanted to see that threat neutralized.

I'm not sure how long I laid in bed that night, just watching Rose sleep. I was terrified to close my eyes for fear I'd wake up and she'd be gone. For the second time in my life I'd nearly lost her and I needed to make sure this would never happen again.

Tatianna was responsible for nearly destroying my family and I had to find a way to make her pay for it.

When we woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of some knocking incessantly on the door.

"Make it stop." Rose grumbled, covering her head with a pillow. The woman I loved was many things but a morning person wasn't one of them.

Dragging myself out of bed, I made my way over to the front door silently cursing whoever it was disturbing our sleep. Whoever it was, they were still knocking and I had to resist the urge to punch them the moment I opened the door.

"Adrian what the hell?" I asked, trying to rub the sleep from my eyes. I wasn't even sure what time it was.

"We need to talk." He said urgently, pushing his way through the door. "Where's Rose?" He asked, glancing around our quiet apartment.

"Sleeping, just like I was 30 seconds ago." I grumbled. "What's this all about?"

As the fogginess of sleep wore off, I noticed for the first time that Adrian looked pretty agitated and I suddenly didn't have a good feeling.

"It's about my aunt." He said confirming my suspicions. He didn't even bother to ask before he started raiding the mini fridge for booze and I decided to take a seat on the couch while I waited for him to finish. I could feel my patience wearing thin but before I could completely snap Adrian finally took a seat.

"I think I've found a way to expose Tatianna." He announced before taking a long swig out of the vodka bottle he was holding. I waited for him to elaborate and when he didn't I had to resist the urge to slap him.

"Well, are you going to tell me what it is?" I asked annoyed. It wasn't the brightest idea coming to someone's home at a god awful hour just to annoy them, but apparently no one ever told Adrian that.

"Right. Okay so I was having dinner with my Aunt last night, you know, keeping up appearances and everything. And my mom said something about how we should throw a celebratory dinner to welcome Rose back home. Now at first I thought it was a terrible idea, but then I got to thinking about it. What if I can somehow slip a tape recorder on me and confront my Aunt about this whole Victor business in private. Then we can use that recording and blare it over the PA system during this sham of a dinner, where we can expose Tatianna in front of the entire Moroi society."

As far as plans go, I had to admit it didn't suck.

"That's not bad….I conceded. But do you really think she'll ever admit it to you? It's no secret how important your opinion of her is, she may not be willing to say anything that might compromise that." I reminded him.

"Shit…you're probably right." He admitted, slumping back into the arm chair. "Wait a second." He exclaimed sitting back up quickly. "What if Rose does it? I mean I know it's not ideal or anything, but no one can get my Aunt all riled up like Rose can. We could use that to our benefit considering she's more likely to slip up and say something in a fit of anger…"

"No, absolutely not!" I shouted. "I don't want Rose alone with that woman!"

"That's not your call Comrade."

The sound of Rose's voice in the doorway sent both of our heads swiveling in her direction. Of course she had to pick this exact moment to decide to get out of bed early. Any other time I would have had to drag her out kicking and screaming.

"Rose, it's a bad idea." I argued, trying to make her see reason. "Think about the baby."

Her eyes narrowed and I knew she was annoyed with me for using such a low blow. I wasn't thrilled about it either, but I wasn't above doing whatever necessary to keep my family safe; even if that meant guilting her into it.

"I am thinking about the baby!" She shot back irritated. "As long as Tatianna is allowed to roam free, this baby will never be safe. She may not know about the pregnancy right now, but it's only a matter of time before she hears about it. We need to act quickly."

"She's right." Adrian piped up from the lounge chair, and I couldn't help but shoot him a dirty look. It was easy to go along with when it wasn't your fiancé and baby in jeopardy.

"I don't like it." I shook my head adamantly, but I knew it was useless. One look at the fierce determination on Rose's face told me there was no changing her mind.

Her eyes softened as she registered the defeated expression on my face.

"You don't have to like it Dimitri, but I need you to support it." She sighed, lightly stroking my cheek. I grabbed her hand to hold it there, leaning my face into her palm.

"I'm not going to change your mind about this am I?"

"Nope." She grinned, popping the P sound. I chuckled at her attempt to lighten the mood before letting out another heavy sigh.

"Fine…but remember what you promised me." I reminded her and she cut me off with a kiss.

"I know, I know, I'm thinking for two now." She rolled her eyes. I wished I could feel as confident as she was.

"Alrighty then." She smirked. "Let's go bag ourselves an Evil Queen."

* * *

><p><strong>RPOV<strong>

As I made my way down the hall to Tatianna's chambers, I took a few deep breaths trying to calm my nerves. I know I was the one who wanted to do this, but that didn't mean that I wasn't still nervous. There was any number of ways this thing could go wrong, and I'd really hate to let Dimitri say I told you so.

_I'd never get to live that down._

When the guardian on duty led me through the door of Tatianna's sitting room, I surprised to find she wasn't alone. Sitting across from her on the large stiff couches was a beautiful young blond woman, who just happened to be human. If I'd had to guess I'd say this was the human girl Adrian had fallen in love with back at Lehigh. If Tatianna was worried about being exposed, it would make sense for her to try and play nice with Adrian for the time being and what better way than by accepting his new lady love.

_Who did she think she was fooling anyway…?_

"Ah Rosemarie, I'm glad you're here. I'd like you to meet Sydney Sage; she's a friend of Adrian's from Lehigh." Tatianna smiled, rising from the couch to greet me. I let her do the usual kissing of the cheek and gave her my own fake smile in return.

Hey, I still had an image to upkeep.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Sydney, I'm Rose." I tried to offer up a more genuine smile for her, but I saw a flash of recognition in her eyes when she heard my name and I had a feeling Adrian had told her about me.

"Sydney was just leaving, but perhaps you two will have a chance to get to know each other better at the dinner tonight." Tatianna suggested, and after another round of pleasantries, Sydney left the room.

'This was it' I thought as the door slammed closed behind her.

"It's such a relief to have you back safely." Tatianna smiled as I took up Sydney's previous seat across from here.

_What a load of crap._

"It's a relief for me as well." I smiled falsely. "Especially given the good news!"

I watched her reaction carefully and took notice of the way she cocked her head questioningly to the side.

"The good news?" She asked warily.

"Dimitri and I are expecting." I smiled sweetly, trying to pour as much genuine excitement into that statement as possible. It wasn't that difficult considering I could barely get the words about without grinning like an idiot.

"Expecting…as in a baby?" She clarified in a tight voice. I could already see her carefully composed mask coming undone.

_This is going to be easier than I thought._

"Yep." I chirped happily. "This November."

"I see." She smiled tightly. "You must be thrilled."

It didn't escape my notice that she'd yet to tell me congratulations.

_Bitter Old Hag._

"Thrilled and relieved…among other things. And just think, if he had actually walked into that trap you set in Spokane, he may have never gotten a chance to find out he'll be a father."

_And there it was._

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" she asked, trying to cover her own ass. Well it was a little late for that one.

"Come now Tatianna, did you honestly think Victor wouldn't want to brag about his victory?" I lied smoothly. We had decided that leaving Adrian out of this was probably in everyone's best interest on the off chance this plan didn't work.

"I'm sure I don't know what you are talking about." Tatianna said sharply. I could see her frail hands shaking a bit in her lap and I knew I had her where I wanted her.

"Cut the crap Tatianna I know everything. Those guards you sent to abduct me and Frankie, they worked for Victor and Sophia recognized them. Then sending Frankie to St. Vladimir's to create a false trail. You knew Dimitri would come looking for me and you set them up for an ambush, all of them. How do you think Prince Zelekos would feel if he knew you tried to lead his only son to his death? Not to mention my father…he was on that plane as well."

I had the pleasure of watching her eyes widen a bit in fear, but there would be time to enjoy this more later. Right now I needed to get her talking.

"Rosemarie I'm not sure what Victor told you but I can assure you…" she started, but before she could finish I cut her off.

"He told me everything Tatianna. How you set up this whole thing to get me out of your hair. How angry you were about me disturbing the 'natural order'." I scoffed. "You were willing to do anything to keep my wedding from happening, including sacrificing me to the Strigoi!"

"That's not true Rosemarie, I would never…"

"Do you even know what he planned to do with me?" I shouted, cutting her off. It turns out I didn't have to work hard to fake my outrage, it was all coming pretty naturally now. "He wanted to inseminate me with his little evil Strigoi sperm! And you were going to let him!"

"No, I was never going to let it go that far!" she shouted back before slapping her hand over her mouth.

_Bingo._

"What the hell does that mean?" I spat, trying to appear shocked by the news. This wasn't going to be anything Adrian hadn't already told me, but I needed to make sure she didn't know that.

With a heavy sigh she sank back into her seat, covering her hands with her face.

"You don't understand Rosemarie, what it's like to be Queen. There are certain expectations that come along with it and one of those is protecting our way of life. What you were doing, running about with that Dhamphir boy, it was uncivilized. You are of Royal blood dear, and that comes with expectations as well. My health isn't what it used to be, and I didn't spend the last 10 years grooming you and Adrian to take over my reign to let you throw it all away on some ridiculous forbidden romance. I had to do something. You left me no other choice!"

Even knowing that those words were coming, it was still a little shocking to hear. The way they sounded coming out of her mouth and the crazed way she was looking at me, it was almost too much. And thanks to all these over active pregnancy hormones I couldn't control the tears that pricked my eyes.

"How could you do this to me Tatianna? I trusted you! Our whole society trusts you!" I shouted back at her, rising to my feet. "What do you think will happen when they find out their Queen committed treason?"

She rose to her feet as well, giving me a cold glare.

"Nothing is going to happen because no one's ever going to find out. I made sure of that." she sneered.

"What the hell does that mean?" I asked, trying to goad her into more self-implication. If my father was right about his suspicions, those two guards she'd hired to help kidnap me had long since been eliminated.

"It means I haven't managed to rule this society for 20 years without knowing how to tie up my loose ends. You'll never find the proof you need and if you value your new family's life and the life of your half breed sister you will forget we ever had this conversation!"

For the longest minute of my life we both stood there glaring at one another. This bitch had a lot of nerve threatening my family this way. Had she learned nothing about me in the last few years? Rose Mazur was a lot of things and a coward wasn't one of them.

"We'll just see about that." I warned her before stalking out the door.

* * *

><p><strong>Review's Please : ) Keep the love coming!<strong>


	38. Chapter 38

**Dimitri's Point of View**

"Okay, let's go over the plan one more time." I told Rose while I sat on the bed watching her get ready.

The celebratory dinner Tatianna had planned was tonight and we finally had the information we needed.

I hated to admit it, but Adrian had been right about Rose and her blow out with Tatianna this morning had proved it.

No one could push the queen's buttons quite like Rose could and that's exactly what she did. Now with the recording of Tatianna's confession, all that was left was to expose her.

I watched as Rose rolled her eyes before sauntering over to me.

"Dimitri I love you, but if I have to hear you go over the plan one more time I'm likely to strangle you. We all know what the plan is and we're ready for this. Now we can sit around here all night and keep talking about it, or we can go and get the job done. What's it going to be?"

She was standing in front of me in a red satin dress and her hands were placed firmly on her hips.

I'd never admit this to anyone else, but I found bossy Rose incredibly sexy.

Reaching out with one arm, I wrapped it around her waist and pulled her closer to me for a kiss. The action caught her by surprise, but she quickly recovered. Wrapping her own arms around my neck, she deepened the kiss and neither of us pulled back until we were dizzy.

"What was that for?" she asked breathless, leaning her whole body into my chest.

"You look beautiful tonight." I told her honestly.

It was all the reason I needed.

"Yeah well you don't look so bad yourself." She smirked while trying to straighten out my tie. I never was any good at these types of things, but luckily Rose had plenty of practice.

"You know, if we're going to be married you should probably learn the proper way to put on a tie." She teased, smoothing my now correct tie into place. "These dinners aren't ideal but they are a necessary evil so you may as well get used to them now."

"Oh great" I sighed dramatically. "A lifetime of boring dinners to look forward to. Lucky me."

Rose glared at me playfully before slapping my chest.

"You bet your ass you're a lucky man. You get to marry me!"

I chuckled softly before pulling her lips back to mine.

"Lucky doesn't even begin to cover it." I smirked.

* * *

><p><strong>Ivan's Point of View<strong>

I spent the entire walk over to my parent's townhouse trying to psych myself up for this. Everyone had their part to play in exposing Tatianna and this was mine.

I just wished Sophia could be here to help me with it.

I must have played out at least a dozen scenarios in my mind and not one of them had ended well.

"You seem tense" My father commented, pouring us both a scotch. "Is everything alright?"

This was the opening I had been looking for and I knew I better take it.

"Actually, there's something I need to talk to you about and we should probably get mom as well."

I could see the apprehension in his eyes, but with a curt nod he left the room to get my mother.

This was it, the moment of truth.

* * *

><p>"So you mean to tell me this whole kidnapping business was Tatianna's doing? My father asked, looking at me skeptically. "That seems a little far-fetched son."<p>

"Does it dad? Really? Think about everything you know about Tatianna, and all her ideals. Do you honestly believe she would ever let Rose and Dimitri just ride off into the sunset? She's been planning on marrying Rose off to Adrian for years, she had to do something." I argued.

My father still looked suspicious but my mother looked downright livid.

"If this is true, than that means she was willing to kill you as well, just for being on that plane!" she pointed out, and this seemed to draw my father's attention.

"And you say Rose has proof of this?" He asked for clarification and I gave him a quick nod.

I watched in silence while he paced around the room, just trying to come to terms with the news. As head of the Zelekos line, my father was a powerful man and we needed him on our side for this to work.

When the pacing finally stopped, my father downed the rest of his scotch and looked at me.

"Tell me what you need me to do."

* * *

><p><strong>Rose's Point of View<strong>

"Why is it these dinner never serve anything edible?" Dimitri grumbled as another waiter walked past us with the hors d'oeurves.

I couldn't help but laugh at his disgruntled expression and I leaned up on my tip toes to kiss him softly.

"Next time, I'll let you sneak snack in through your duster." I winked.

Laughing he pulled me closer for another kiss and I gladly let myself get lost in the moment. If there was one thing I'd learned lately it was that life was short and I wasn't willing to waste another second worrying about what other people would think.

"Ahem." I heard someone clear their voice beside us. When we pulled apart I saw Abe's cheeky grin.

"Good evening lovebirds. Are you enjoying yourselves?" he asked.

Dimitri turned pink with embarrassment but I wouldn't relinquish my hold on him.

"We were having a great time, until we were so rudely interrupted" I teased back.

My relationship with my father was still strained, but supporting my relationship with Dimitri had gone a long way to improve things.

"Well I just thought you'd like to know that the Queen will be here any minute." He told us while taking a glass of champagne from a passing waiter.

"Do you have to drink that in front of me?" I sighed wistfully, eyeing the delicious and frosty beverage in his hands.

No alcohol for 9 months was going to make for a very long pregnancy.

"Think of it as your penance for making me a grandfather so young." He smiled cheekily, raising the glass to his lips.

Dimitri tried to cough to cover his laughter but he wasn't fooling anybody.

"Laugh it up Comrade, but if I can't drink alcohol then neither can you." I glared and his laughter dried up pretty quickly.

"Who died?" Christian asked after walking up and seeing Dimitri's grim face.

"My ability to drink alcohol." Dimitri grumbled, watching as another waiter passed us by with the champagne. Christian and Abe both had a good laugh at his expense, but the sound of the Royal trumpets blaring interrupted them.

"This is it Kiz, are you ready for this?" Abe asked, moving closer to me protectively. When it came to fatherly instincts Abe didn't have the lightest touch, but it was nice to know he was here for me.

When the wide double doors of the grand ballroom opened up, I braced myself for what was to come. Tatianna Ivashkov made a mistake making an enemy out of me and tonight she was going to learn that.

* * *

><p><strong>We're almost there, to the big reveal! Sorry this was kind of short but I kind of needed this filler chapter to get to where I wanted to go. Don't forget to leave a review! : )<strong>


	39. Chapter 39

**RPOV**

She looked absolutely regal.

With her royal blue dress and her hair in an elegant up do, she looked every bit the Queen her people believed her to be.

Too bad I was about to ruin all that.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd like to thank you all for coming." Tatianna started, calling the room to her attention.

"As many of you know, Rosemarie has always been like a daughter to me. After losing her mother at such a young age, I felt it only right that I look after her. That's not to say she made it easy for me." Tatianna winked and the whole room laughed lightly at her joke.

"But Rosemarie was definitely worth the effort, and when I first heard news of her abduction I was simply beside myself. So you can imagine my relief when she was returned to us unharmed. Not only had she been saved, but also a vicious killer had been defeated. So tonight as we gather to celebrate Rose's joyful homecoming, I'd like to also give thanks for this victory over evil."

She raised her champagne glass into the air and others followed.

"To Rosemarie and to Victory." She toasted and the room followed suit.

"To Rosemarie and to Victory!" The room echoed back.

I felt Dimitri's hand tighten around mine and I knew he was thinking what I was thinking.

_This bitch has a lot of nerve._

In true Royal fashion, several others ascended the stage to give their heartfelt toasts in my honor. Half of these people I had never even talked to and I waited impatiently for Ivan's father to take his turn.

As head of the Zeklos family and a conservative, he was the last person Tatianna would expect to betray her.

"This is it." Ivan whispered in my ear as his father took his place on the stage. I could tell he was feeling nervous, but an encouraging nod from Ivan's mother gave him strength.

"When my son first told me he'd befriend Rose Mazur, I was skeptical. We've all heard the stories about her being rough around the edge. Unlike most Royals, she's not afraid to push the boundaries. She doesn't fall on the side of convention and she makes up the rules as she goes along. To some this may seem reckless, but I now know this makes her brave. Not many young women her age possess the courage to fight for what they believe in, and in a world that is rapidly changing, I think we could use more people like Rose."

_So far so good Zeklos._

"It's just too bad our Queen doesn't share the same opinion."

_And there it is._

All around the room I could the confused whispers and when Ivan's father pulled out the tape recorder, I watched Tatianna's eyes widen in fear.

With the recording already cued to the right position, all he had to do was hit play.

"_Do you even know what Victor planned to do with me? He wanted to inseminate me with his evil little Strigoi sperm, and you were going to let him!"_

I recognized my own voice on the recording and it seemed others did as well. Several heads turned in my direction to look at me curiously.

"_No, I was never going to let it get that far!"_

After hearing Tatianna's distinct voice, they all turned in her direction.

"_What the hell does that mean?"_

"_You don't understand Rosemarie, what it's like to be queen! There are certain expectations that come along with it and one of those involves protecting our way of life. What you were doing with that Dhamphir boy, it was uncivilized! You are of Royal blood dear and that comes with expectations as well. My health isn't what it used to be and I didn't spend the last 10 years grooming you and Adrian to take over my reign to let you throw it all away over some silly romance. I had to do something; you left me no other choice!"_

There were more gasps from the crowd at hearing her and I couldn't help the smug smile that crept across my face.

"_How could you do this to me Tatianna? I trusted you! Our whole society trusts you. What do you think will happen when they find out their Queen committed treason?"_

"_Nothing's going to happen because no one is going to find out. I made sure of that."_

"_What the hell does that mean?"_

"_It means I haven't managed to rule this society for 20 years without knowing how to tie up loose ends. You'll never find the proof you need and if you value your family's life, you'll forget we ever had this conversation!"_

When Ivan's father pressed stop on the recording, the only sound that could be heard was the crickets.

For the longest time, no one said a word, but when the shock wore off someone spoke.

"Is that true?" Evette Ozera asked. She was glaring at Tatianna and she wasn't the only one.

"That recording was taken completely out of context!" Tatianna tried defending herself.

"No it wasn't." Adrian spoke up as he made his way over to the stage.

"Adrian dear, what do you think you are doing?" Tatianna asked nervously.

"I'm sorry Auntie, but it's time they know the truth. The only reason we got to Rose in time was because I overheard your conversation. I know about the guards you paid off to aid in Rose's abduction. I know about your plan to lure Dimitri and the others to their death. You set this whole thing in motion and you didn't even care how many innocent lives were lost in the process!" Adrian shouted.

I'd never heard him sound so angry and judging by Tatianna's frightened expression, neither had she.

"My son was on that plane to Spokane." Prince Zeklos glared at the Queen. "Along with the last Dragomir."

The room broke out in another round of hushed whispers.

What Tatianna had done was scandalous enough, but since Lissa was the last of her line, any attempt on her life was inconceivable.

"And Prince Mazur as well."

I looked over at Dimitri who was still gripping my hand tightly, and after a slight nod of the head he let my hand go.

"That's a lot of Royal blood to spill just to further your own agenda." I added as I made my way up to the stage.

All eyes were on me now and I needed to make the most of it.

Stepping onto the stage I went to stand beside Adrian.

"When Adrian first came to me with the truth about my abduction, I couldn't believe it. How could a woman as benevolent as our Queen stoop to such lows and deceive me? Like Tatianna pointed out she was like a mother to me and yet she cast all that history aside to serve her own selfish vision!

Now I won't presume to stand before you and think that everyone agrees with my lifestyle. It's true that I don't fit the Royal mold. But I am a good person with a kind heart. And even in the face of all of life's adversity, I never let my values be compromised.

So I fell in love with a man that society deems inappropriate, is that any reason to kill him? To kill countless other innocents and all in the name of saving some outdated traditions! Is a Dhampirs life really any less valuable than our own? Without them the Strigoi would have picked us off long ago. We need them just as much as they need us and I think it's about time we start recognizing that."

Looking out into the crowd I saw Dimitri smiling at me widely.

"Sometimes you have to take a step back to really see what's right in front of you. Maybe that's what we need to do right now…to find out balance again. At some point we lost sight of what's really important, and that is each other. But the good news is, it's never too late to find our way again. All you have to do is want it."

Looking around the room I could see the indecision in their eyes. It wasn't easy to change a lifetime's worth of thinking in one night, but I knew I had to try. If nothing else it was a start.

"She's right." Evette Ozera spoke up. "I've spent the last 20 years denying my heart, but I won't do it anymore." She glanced across the room at her guardian standing in the doorway and I recognized the look on her face when their eyes met. It was the same look I shared with Dimitri. "Rose Mazur isn't the only one who fell in love with her guardian." She spoke up proudly.

More hushed whispers broke out around the ballroom, but then another Royal stood up as well. It was Bianca Voda, a woman close to my father's age.

"I too support Rosemarie Mazur." She spoke up loudly and beside her I saw a few more Royals stand.

When I saw Ivan stand up next, I just knew this would be good.

"Well…seeing as how I'm in love with a smoking hot guardian." He winked at Sophia. "I suppose I belong on this bandwagon as well!"

Soft chuckles could be heard around the room, but Tatianna quickly interrupted them.

"This is preposterous!" She declared loudly. "And I've heard enough! How dare you come into my home and try to stat a rebellion!" She sneered at me. "Guards, take her away!"

But no one moved.

Tatianna looked around the room, her eyes darting from face to face frantically.

"Well, don't just stand there!" she shouted to one of the guards standing closest to me. "Do something!"

I looked over at the guardian she was screeching at and a slow smile crept onto his face. I recognized him as Han's Croft, the leader of the guardians here at court.

Taking a deliberate step forward, he moved to restrain her.

"Queen Tatianna, you are under arrest for the crime of high treason."

* * *

><p><strong>Well Tatianna's been outed. Can Rose get her happy ending now?<strong>

**Reviews Please : )**


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